A Black History of Art Presents: A Shared Gaze

Alayo Akinkugbe

Conversations with Black contemporary artists from across the globe hosted by Alayo Akinkugbe, the author of 'Reframing Blackness: What's Black About "History of Art"?' and creator of the instagram platform A Black History of Art.

  1. May 14

    Lubaina Himid (Venice Biennale Special)

    A conversation with Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid, who is representing Britain at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale with 'Predicting History: Testing Translation’. The episode also features curator Ese Onojeruo discussing the making of the exhibition. Himid’s exhibition explores what it means to make a home in a place not designed to welcome you. Through large-scale paintings, painted objects and a soundscape created in collaboration with Magda Stawarska, the pavilion becomes an immersive meditation on belonging, migration and identity. Throughout the exhibition, groups of figures debate, negotiate and imagine new ways of living together, while a series of questions posed across the works ask who gets to feel at home — and who is made to feel out of place. The British Pavilion itself, where these conversations were recorded, becomes part of the conversation. Sitting prominently at the top of the Giardini, the neo-classical building is reimagined as a space that feels bright, airy and welcoming, yet threaded with subtle unease. In this episode, Himid and Onojeruo discuss the origins of 'Predicting History: Testing Translation', the role of sound and architecture within the exhibition, and notions around home, identity and belonging in Britain today. Lubaina Himid: Predicting History: Testing Translation is on at the British Pavilion, Venice Biennale, from 10 May – 22 November 2026. The British Pavilion is commissioned by the British Council and supported by Frieze, in its second partnership with the British Council Commission for the British Pavilion; Cork Street Galleries – an initiative of The Pollen Estate; the Henry Moore Foundation; Rothschild Foundation; the Girlfriend Fund; and digital partner Bloomberg Philanthropies. Keep up with us: Lubaina Himid: @lubainapics Ese Onojeruo: @ese_onojeruo Alayo Akinkugbe: @alayoakinkugbe @ablackhistoryofart @asharedgaze

    18 min

  2. Apr 15

    Shaqúelle Whyte

    This episode is filmed and is available on YouTube. A conversation with Shaqúelle Whyte, a London-based painter who grew up in Wolverhampton and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and the Royal College of Art. Whyte’s practice draws on personal imagery, art history, and an intuitive studio process. In this episode, we discuss his early life, his experiences at two of London’s most revered art schools, and his approach to painting. We also talk about his recent exhibitions, including Winter Remembers April with Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London, Nine Nights Strange Fruit with White Cube in Hong Kong, and his upcoming solo exhibition at Wolverhampton Art Gallery. Shaqúelle Whyte: Shattered Dreams is on at Wolverhampton Art Gallery from 18th April – 31st August 2026. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3A03dLpFjMc?si=qdf6GCXlyziJl5H0 Keep up with us on IG: Shaqúelle: @shaq.whyte Alayo: @alayoakinkugbe @ablackhistoryofart @asharedgaze

    55 min
  3. Taiba Akhuetie

    11/30/2025

    Taiba Akhuetie

    A conversation with Taiba Akhuetie, a multidisciplinary artist based in London. During lockdown, Taiba began exploring hair as a standalone material for creating sculptures, installations and clothing. Since then, her designs have been worn by the likes of Tems and Cate Blanchett, she has made a bag for Rihanna, collaborated with Fiorucci, and contributed to numerous fashion editorials. Her career now moves fluidly between hairstyling, art, and design, placing her in a unique creative space. She has also just been recognised as a new wave creative for 2025, by the British Fashion Council. To mark the occasion, we produced a shoot with photographer, Bernardo Ame, and sat down with Taiba to discuss her life and her practice. Watch on YouTube. Keep up with us: Taiba: @taibataiba  Alayo: @alayoakinkugbe @ablackhistoryofart @asharedgaze Bernardo: @bernardo__ame

    21 min

  4. 10/26/2025 ·  Bonus

    Misan Harriman (Special)

    A conversation with photographer, filmmaker, artist, and activist Misan Harriman. His work spans portraiture, film, and social documentary, capturing some of the most defining images of contemporary culture. The first Black man to photograph a September issue of British Vogue, Misan is known for his portraits of celebrities like Rihanna, Angelina Jolie, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as well as his documentation of global protest movements. His directorial debut, The After, starring David Oyelowo, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024. In this episode, Alayo and Misan discuss his early life, rapid career development, and his latest protest photography exhibition at Hope 93 Gallery. Keep up with us: Misan Harriman: @misanharriman Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

    37 min

  5. 06/15/2025

    Umar Rashid

    A conversation with Los Angeles-based artist Umar Rashid, who blends historical research with world-building. Umar’s practice -- which includes painting, sculpture and writing -- engages with colonial history, global interconnections, and alternative historical narratives, focusing on the period from 1648 to 1880. His work often incorporates elements of time travel and cosmic exploration. In this episode, Alayo and Umar discuss his upbringing on the South Side of Chicago in an artistic family, a recent exhibition he curated of Robert Colescott’s work at BLUM Gallery in LA, and the influence of figures such as Frantz Fanon and Federico Fellini on his practice. This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, 'Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?', which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context. Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here. Keep up with us: Umar Rashid: @frohawktwofeathers Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

    52 min

  6. 06/03/2025

    Modupeola Fadugba

    A conversation with Lagos-based artist Modupeola Fadugba, whose multidisciplinary practice spans installation, painting, film, and social engagement. Modupeola's work often explores subjects of race and pedagogy, as seen in her acclaimed 'Synchronized Swimmers' series and her Emmy-winning documentary on the all-Black senior synchronised swimming group, the Harlem Honeys and Bears. Modupeola's latest exhibition ‘Of Movement, Materials and Methods’ — on view at Gallery 1957 in London until June 29 — draws on her research into the Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode, Nigeria. The show marks a vibrant shift in her palette and incorporates intricate beading techniques she first encountered while interning with Maasai beadworkers in Tanzania during school holidays. Alayo and Modupeola discuss the Nigerian education system, the symbolic power of swimming in Modupeola's work and the influence of artists such as Nike Davies-Okundaye. This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context. Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here. Keep up with us: Modupeola Fadugba: @modupeola.fadugba Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

    26 min

  7. 05/25/2025

    Qualeasha Wood

    A conversation with Philadelphia-based artist Qualeasha Wood, whose multidisciplinary practice spans textiles, digital media, and performance. Qualeasha’s work investigates Black femme identity, Catholic iconography, and the psychological effects of the internet, often rendered through intricately tufted and woven tapestries. Her recent solo exhibition Malware at Pippy Houldsworth Gallery in London presents a series of glitch-heavy, hyper-pixelated works that reflect on digital anxiety, image control, and online mediation. In this episode, Alayo and Qualeasha discuss art school at RISD, the politics of self-presentation in virtual spaces, and the development of her debut performance bedrot, staged during the opening night of Malware. This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context. Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here. Keep up with us: Qualeasha Wood: @qualeasha Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

    54 min
  8. Roméo Mivekannin

    04/13/2025

    Roméo Mivekannin

    A conversation with Béninois artist Roméo Mivekannin, who works primarily in painting and installation. Roméo’s practice centres on marginalised Black figures in canonical European paintings, which he reimagines with his own self-portrait. His first exhibition in Italy, Black Mirror, at Collezione Maramotti in Reggio Emilia is on until the 27th of July. It features a new series of paintings on black velvet, marking a new chapter in his practice. In this episode, Alayo and Roméo discuss subjects including Italian cinema, the choreography of Pina Bausch, the universality of dance and his grandmother’s stories of European colonial injustice in Africa. This special season focuses on the themes which are at the heart of Alayo’s upcoming book, Reframing Blackness: What’s Black About History of Art?, which unpacks the relationship between Blackness and “Western” art history through the lenses of: Museums, the curriculum, feminist art movements, muses and exhibitions. In this season Alayo will speak to artists who re-think, reposition and reframe Blackness and Black figures in this context. Pre-Order Reframing Blackness here. Keep up with us: Roméo Mivekannin: @romeomivekannin Alayo Akinkugbe: @ablackhistoryofart @alayoakinkugbe

    19 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Conversations with Black contemporary artists from across the globe hosted by Alayo Akinkugbe, the author of 'Reframing Blackness: What's Black About "History of Art"?' and creator of the instagram platform A Black History of Art.

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