Art & Processes

NKATA is an Igbo word from the language spoken by the Igbo people of Nigeria. It simply means "Conversation".

Hosted ByEmeka Okereke

NKATA is an Igbo word from the language spoken by the Igbo people of Nigeria. It simply means “Conversation”. Thus this podcast series will feature conversations with selected individuals (artists, cultural operators, and creatives) whose work I have known – some over many years and others, a little less so. What sets them apart is that I consider them and their works to be compelling, engaging and relevant to the time.

The idea of this podcast is to have in-depth but also accessible conversations about who these individuals are, their life’s journeys and how this translates into their vocation as creative people. Conversations will depart from exploring the background of the artists’ personal history while meandering through key themes, positions, and ideologies central to their works. Each episode will feature one conversation with a selected artist.

– Emeka Okereke (Host).

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All Episodes

EP16: “Creativity is what we owe Humanity” – Nkata with Ibe Ananaba

In this episode of Nkata Podcast: Art & Processes, host Emeka Okereke engages in a compelling conversation with Nigerian painter, designer, and multimedia artist Ibe Ananaba. A lifelong explorer...

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EP15: “The garment of the present is always stitched by cloths and threads from a variety of elsewheres” – Nkata with John Akomfrah

In this thought-provoking episode, host Emeka Okereke sits down with the visionary Ghanaian-born British artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah. Akomfrah is renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to contemporary art...

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EP14: “Move one foot in front of the other, and you will find your road”. Nkata with Jide Adeniyi-Jones

Jide Adeniyi-Jones (b. Lagos, 1952) is a Nigerian documentary photographer based in Lagos and Washington, DC. He credits the English photographer John Vickers for paving his way into photography...

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Ep13: “When I use the term Afropolitanism, it refers to the “becoming planetary” of our predicament.” Nkata with Achille Mbembe.

In this conversation, moderated by host Emeka Okereke, the Cameroonian philosopher takes the listener on a journey across some personal experiences, thoughts, events and projections that animated his work and life.

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EP12: “We are workers of the Spirit”. Nkata with Koyo Kouoh

Koyo Kouoh (b. 1967) is a Cameroonian-born curator. She is a leading figure in the Contemporary art world. More specifically, she is one of the pioneers who helped shape and articulate contemporary art practices from the African continent and beyond. In this conversation with host Emeka Okereke, Koyo leaves nuggets of wisdom. Her words are a beacon, just as they are a backbone for those interested in the wealth of hindsight.

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EP11: “We were brought up to strive for Eloquence”. Nkata with Olu Oguibe

Olu Oguibe (b.1964) is a Nigerian-born American artist and academic. His work constitutes a pillar of what we now know as Contemporary African art and post-colonial studies. In conversation with Emeka Okereke, Oguibe relives childhood memories while weaving a rich and expansive tapestry of his artistic trajectory.

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EP10: We are trying to remember the future and rewrite the past. Nkata with Qudus Onikeku

In episode 10 of Nkata: Art & Processes, Emeka Okereke is in Conversation with Qudus Onikeku (b. 1984, Lagos), a Nigerian contemporary dancer, performer and Choreographer. He has been...

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EP09: “Water will always find its crack”. Nkata with Ahmet Öğüt

Ahmet Öğüt (b.1981, Diyarbakir, Turkey) is a conceptual artist living and working in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He works with a broad range of media including video, photography, installation, drawing and...

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EP08: “If I write for them, it means I am removing myself from my source”. Nkata with Niq Mhlongo

Niq Mhlongo (b. 1973, Soweto) is a South African writer born in Johannesburg. Today, he is considered “one of the most high-spirited, irreverent voices of post-apartheid South African literary...

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