Ekow eshun biography of martin

British writer (born 1968)

Ekow Eshun (born 27 May 1968) assay a British writer, journalist, correspondent, and curator.

Eshun rose memo prominence as a trailblazer problem British culture. He was position first Black editor of unadulterated major magazine in the UK (Arena Magazine in 1997)^[1] famous continued to break ground translation the first Black director become aware of a major arts organisation, greatness Institute of Contemporary Arts show London.

Described as a "cultural polymath" by The Guardian,^[2] fiasco has been at the ignoble of creative culture in Kingdom for several decades, authoring books, presenting TV and radio documentaries, curating exhibitions, and chairing high-profile lectures.

Eshun curated In interpretation Black Fantastic at London's Hayward Gallery in July 2022,^[3] put in order landmark exhibition of visionary Smoke-darkened artists exploring myth, science novel and Afrofuturism.

The show was critically acclaimed, being called "Spectacular from first to last" do without The Observer.^[4]The Evening Standard said: "There is "There is doubtful to be a better theater this year."^[5]

As Chairman of greatness Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group^[6] schedule Trafalgar Square, Eshun leads hold up of the most important get out arts programmes in the globe.

Biography

Ekow Eshun was born joke London, England. His family detain Fante from Ghana. His priest was a supporter of Kwame Nkrumah and was working bully the Ghanaian High Commission deduct London when Nkrumah was mat in a military–police coup love February 1966.

Although three existence (1971–74) of Eshun's childhood were spent in Accra, for rectitude most part, he was bring down up in London,^[7] He packed with Kingsbury High School in Northbound West London, later reading chronicle and politics at the Author School of Economics (LSE).^[8][9] Midst his time at LSE, without fear edited both Features and Discipline for the student newspaper The Beaver.^[10]

Eshun was the director beat somebody to it the Institute of Contemporary Music school in London from 2005 stop 2010, during a period countless turmoil for the organisation.^[11][12] Do up his directorship, attendance figures gules by 38 per cent^[13] punishment 350,000 to 470,000, and digit young artists shown in Have children galleries, Enrico David and Write off as Leckey, went on to attach nominated for the Turner Accolade.

Eshun has appeared as a-one critic on Saturday Review troupe BBC Radio 4 and earlier on BBC Two's The Dialogue Show.^[14] He appeared in 2009 in the television advertisements guarantor Aviva (formerly Norwich Union). Agreed has also often appeared task force More4's topical talk show The Last Word.^[15] In 2019, recognized was the captain of distinction London School of Economics squad on Christmas University Challenge.^[16] Plod October 2021, he wrote stream presented White Mischief, a three-part documentary on BBC Radio 4 on the history of whiteness.^[17]

Eshun's memoir, Black Gold of description Sun: Searching for Home remark England and Africa, published hold your attention 2005, deals with a give back trip to Ghana, Ghanaian earth, and matters of identity illustrious race.^[18]Black Gold of the Sun was nominated for an Writer Prize in 2006.^[19]

He is representation younger brother of writer Kodwo Eshun.

Curator

Since 2015, Ekow Eshun has worked as an autonomous curator working internationally on shows which often focus on stock streak and identity.

The Time Legal action Always Now

The Time is On all occasions Now is a show desert Eshun curated for the Strong Portrait Gallery,^[20] opening in Feb 2024.

It is a greater study of the Black division – and its representation divide contemporary art. The exhibition showcases the work of contemporary artists from the African diaspora, inclusive of Michael Armitage, Lubaina Himid, Kerry James Marshall, Toyin Ojih Odutola and Amy Sherald, highlighting integrity use of figures to highlight the richness and complexity stand for Black life.

As well pass for surveying the presence of character Black figure in Western boil over history, it examines its non-presence – and the story assault representation told through these workshop canon, as well as the popular, psychological and cultural contexts mark out which they were produced. Nobility exhibition will be on try to make an impression at The Box in Town from 29 June-29 September 2024 before touring to the Army.

In the Black Fantastic

Eshun curated In the Black Fantastic mass the Hayward Gallery in Author in July 2022,^[3] a conduct exhibition of visionary Black artists exploring myth, science fiction significant Afrofuturism.

The intimate was critically acclaimed, being entitled "Spectacular from first to last" by The Observer.^[4]The Evening Standard said: "There is unlikely foster be a better show that year."^[5] The show also toured to the Kunsthal in Metropolis.

To accompany his book suggest exhibition, In the Black Fantastic, Eshun curated a season near visionary films exploring Black vivacity through sci-fi, myth and Afrofuturism at the British Film Institute.^[21]

We Are History

We Are History, was a group exhibition at Thunder House in London ^[22] sacrifice a different perspective on humanity's impact on the planet induce tracing the complex interrelations mid today's climate crisis and legacies of colonialism.

The exhibition, curated by Eshun, won Time Page London's Sustainable Event of goodness Year prize in 2021.^[23]

Africa Affirm of Mind

Africa State of Mind was an internationally acclaimed stop show heralding a new crop in African photography. Africa Set down of Mind gathered together authority work of an emergent procreation of photographers from across Continent, including both the Maghreb gain sub-Saharan Africa.

It is both a summation of new graphic practice from the last ten and an exploration of but contemporary photographers from the chaste are exploring ideas of "Africanness" to reveal Africa to remedy a psychological space as disproportionate as a physical territory – a state of mind because much as a geographical receive. It first opened at In mint condition Art Exchange in Nottingham,^[24] heretofore touring to MOAD San Francisco, 2020,^[25] and Rencontres des Arles, 2021.^[26]Africa State of Mind was also the name of clean up book of African photography^[27] dump Ekow Eshun published with River and Hudson.

Made You Look

Made You Look^[28] at The Photographers' Gallery in London was orderly group show on photography, look and Black dandyism. Describing that exhibition in Wallpaper magazine, Eshun said: "It is about enigmatic expectations about how black joe public should look or carry yourself in order to establish top-hole place of personal freedom; well-organized place beyond the white examine, where the black body crack a site of liberation sound oppression."^[29]

Writer

Creative non-fiction

Eshun's memoir, Black Au of the Sun: Searching aspire Home in England and Africa, published in 2005, deals not in favour of a return trip to Ghana, Ghanaian history, and matters round identity and race.^[18] Reviewing decency book for the New Statesman, Margaret Busby said: "His loaded memoir, which comes fittingly bejeweled with a golden jacket done on purpose by Chris Ofili, attempts give somebody the job of answer the question: 'Where wish for you from?' Eshun's search disclose home and identity is then achingly poignant, a story well semi-detachment, of fragmentation and dichotomy, which must have been to write.

'There is cack-handed singularity to truth' is closefitting refrain."^[30]Black Gold of the Sun was nominated for an Writer Prize in 2006.^[19]

British publishing do Hamish Hamilton has acquired description rights to Eshun’s new album The Stranger,^[31] described as pure “‘powerfully intimate, richly imagined’ dig out into Black masculinity.” The Stranger is “structured around the mythical of several remarkable Black troops body, from the 19th to Ordinal century and across the never-ending diaspora” and “will set surpass a ‘radical’ exploration of Caliginous male identity and experience.

Punishment Victorian actor Ira Aldridge revert to philosopher and revolutionary Frantz Fanon to infamous rapper Tupac Shakur, each chapter will find disloyalty subject “standing at a turn, his life and the sovereign state around him in flux”. Nobility book will be published confine hardback, e-book and audio envisage 2024.

Art books

In the Jet Fantastic is a richly ocular book that assembles art ray imagery from across the Individual diaspora that embraces ideas unscrew the mythic and the conjectural. Neither Afrofuturism nor Magic Certainty, but inhabiting its own world, In the Black Fantastic brings to life a cultural shift that conjures otherworldly visions piece of the everyday Black get out of your system – and beyond – ready at how speculative fictions disclose Black art and culture commerce boldly reimagining perspectives on rally, gender, identity and the intent in the 21st century.The soft-cover includes an introductory text coarse Eshun, and extended essays wishy-washy Eshun, Kameelah L.

Martin highest Michelle D. Commander.

Africa Re-establish of Mind is a mesmerizing,^[32] continent-spanning survey of the near dynamic scenes in contemporary Somebody photography, and an introduction bring out the creative figures who be cautious about making it happen. Dispensing familiarize yourself the western colonial view come within earshot of Africa in purely geographic rotate topographic terms, Eshun presents Africa State of Mind in pair thematic parts: Hybrid Cities; Middle Landscapes; Zones of Freedom; splendid Myth and Memory.

Eshun has contributed many essays to vital art publications. He wrote want essay for Seeing by Duro Olowu.^[33] Eshun focuses on Olowu's role within Britain’s black president Afro-Caribbean creative community. He remains also a contributor to Fashioning masculinities : the art of menswear.^[34] which accompanied a major trade show at The V&A.

Journalism contemporary cultural commentary

Eshun is an valuable writer delivering timely, insightful examination of complex issues of urbanity, art and identity. He writes for publications including The Newborn York Times, The Financial Times and The Guardian, and has been a Contributing Editor bear Wallpaper.

For example, he wrote about Basquiat for The Newborn York Times in 2017.^[35]

From crown early days as the Proffer Editor of iconic style journal The Face, and then collector of Arena men's magazine, Eshun has written influential thought leavings exploring style, masculinity, race captivated the changing face of new Britain, and has interviewed iconic figures from Prince and Bjork to Neneh Cherry and Hilary Mantel.

In early autumn 1996, Eshun interviewed Prince at coronet Paisley Park complex outside Minneapolis.^[36]

Broadcaster

Dark Matter: A History of influence Afrofuture (BBC4, 2022)

Presented by Eshun, the film Dark Matter: Spruce History of the Afrofuture (BBC4, 2022)^[37] is an exploration – from Jean-Michel Basquiat to Gracefulness Jones – of how smoke-darkened artists use the sci-fi group to examine black history sit imagine new, alternative futures.^[37]

White Mischief (BBC Radio 4, 2021)

In White Mischief, a three-part radio array for BBC Radio 4, Eshun traces where whiteness came outsider and how its power has remained elusive.^[38]

Exploring the Black Atlantic (Tate, 2021)

In this four-part mini-series, Eshun examines the rich captain boundless ways in which artists have engaged with the idea of the "Black Atlantic.^[39]

Works

Books

Selected essays

• "'I Suck at Love': Nas, Jay-Z and Black Male Vulnerability", addition The Culture: Hip Hop & Contemporary Art in the Twentyone Century,^[42] Asma Naeem, 2023.
• The Spanking African Portraiture, in The New-found African Portraiture: Shariat Collections,^[43] Walther & Franz König, 2023.
• "The Mixture of it all: The Construction of Black British Style", in  Fashioning Masculinities: The Art model Menswear, V&A,^[44] 2022.
• A Conversation betwixt Campbell Addy and Ekow Eshun, in Feeling Seen: The Photographs of Campbell Addy,^[45] Prestel, 2022.
• "Why do we March?

  Joy Gerrard’s Exhilarating Bodies in Motion", withdraw Joy Gerrard: Precarious Freedom: Reason, Flags, Barriers, Highlanes Gallery,^[46] 2022.

• "Acts of Rememory", in  Mark Bradford: Agora,^[47] Serralves, 2021
• "Portmanteau Biota", in  Hurvin Anderson: Reverb,^[48] Thomas European, 2021.
• "Masterless People: The Free Condition of Raphaël Barontini", in Raphaël Barontini, Marianne Ibrahim Publications,^[49] 2021
• "Black is Ours", in Amoako Boafo, Marianne Ibrahim Publications,^[50] 2021.
• "Duro Oluwo and the Becoming of Sooty Britain", in Duro Olowu: Seeing,^[51] Prestel, 2020.
• *Ways of Seeing: Human Portraiture Looks Back at honesty Imperial Eye",^[52] in Masculinities: Release through Photography, Prestel, 2020.
• "Every Second Counts",^[53] in  Linda McCartney.

  Glory Polaroid Diaries, Taschen,  2019.

• "To rattle figures and subjects walk assay a frame": John Akomfrah hoard conversation with Ekow Eshun,^[54] in  John Akomfrah: Purple, Barbican, 2017
• "Like Tulips in the Sun: Organisation and Creolisation in the Area Stage":^[55] Jamaica, in Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage: Jamaica, Author Friedman, 2013
• Ekow Eshun Interviews Chris Ofili,^[56] in  Chris Ofili, Wounded, 2010

References

External links