AFRO DADA

Afro Dada is an evolving strand of my practice exploring the intersections of Black British identity and the British Empire through new experimental methods and materials. This page brings together the manifesto, conceptual grounding, and context of its development—much of which unfolded publicly between April and June 2025 at Firstsite.

Afro Dada Manifesto

Afro Dada holds together intertwined historical circumstances and intersectionalities—the remnants of Empire, the pulse of my Caribbean lineage, and a yearning for an African heritage rendered broken and fragmented. It articulates an artistic philosophy that employs strategies of play, absurdity, and provocation—hallmarks of Dadaism—not to resolve historical rupture, but to repossess and confront Britain’s cultural and historical amnesia. In this context, disorientation serves as both a creative compass and a framework for critique.

As part of my solo exhibition, It Should Not Be Forgotten at Firstsite (29 March – 6 July 2025), one of the galleries was transformed into a working artist’s studio. This offered visitors a unique opportunity to step inside an artist’s evolving creative process. On most Fridays throughout the exhibition, I worked in the studio, developing the Afro Dada series live. The work-in-progress remained on view between sessions and was regularly updated on this page below