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EP14: Being Palestinian, a Life of Permanent Temporality – with Bahaa Abudaya

Since 1948, Israel and Palestine have been embroiled in what is famously known today as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet to have a better foothold for genuine comprehension of the situation, it is crucial to note that the so-called conflict was kicked off by a disparity between Palestinian Jews and Arabs when that portion of the…

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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 active and consistently prolific since 2004, so much that one cannot knowledgeably talk about the practice and evolution of contemporary dance in the 21st century without…

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Reflections on Akinbode’s ‘Wanderings’ by Sheriff Tahiru

I write down these thoughts as a continuation of reflections triggered by a podcast conversation between Emeka Okereke and Akinbode Akinbiyi. I was struck deeply by the theme and the terrain their conversation explored – I wonder as I wander. A conversation between creatives is itself a work of art. But this one conversation is…

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EP12: Memory, Performance, Healing and Celebration in the Photographic works of Lebohang Kganye.

In the 12th Episode of Dots of Thoughts, Emeka Okereke reflects on the photographic work of Lebohang Kganye. Ke Lefa Laka: Her-story,  was realised in 2013. It explores the relationship between Lebohang Kganye and her mother, who passed on three years earlier. She employs the techniques of double exposure and superimposition to “re-enter” the life…

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EP07: The Legacy of Queen’s College – A Perspective on Radical Education for Women in Nigeria.

Founded in 1927, Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria is part of a formidable legacy addressing the gender disparities between male and female education in Nigeria spearheaded by a group of women who contributed to the founding of this country’s first government-owned secondary school for girls. The six years I spent in Queen’s College between 1993-1999…

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EP07: “Our subalterns have not sold out; our youngsters have not sold out”. Nkata with Shahidul Alam

Shahidul Alam (b.1955) is a Bangladeshi photojournalist, teacher and social activist. He has been a photographer for more than 40 years. His life and work can invariably be summarised as a service to society, culture and humanity. While in Dhaka in February 2020, Emeka Okereke visited Alam at his home – same apartment from which he was arrested and thrown in jail in 2018. This episode is the result of their extensive conversation about his life and work – his childhood, parents, family and dedication to social justice in Bangladesh.

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EP06: Mama Margeret of Afroshop Tropical Markt – 25 Years of Making Life Matter in Berlin.

For 25 years, Madam Margaret Opambour-Adjei has run the Afroshop Tropical Markt, in Neukölln Berlin, where she sells foodstuffs, cosmetics and fabrics mainly from West Africa. Originally from Ghana, she migrated to Germany in 1988. In this episode, Emeka Okereke visited her shop during which they discussed various aspect of the movement of African food…

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EP05: Dalit, A Quest For Dignity – Relating Image-Making to World-Making Through a Photo Book

In this Episode, Emeka Okereke (Berlin) connects, through a phone conversation, with Diwas Raja (Kathmandu) – writer, scholar and Lead Researcher at the Nepal Picture Library. Their discussion expands on the intentions and the operative premise of the photography book, “Dalit, A Quest For Dignity” of which Diwas is the editor. The book, which is…

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“Not only are we ahead of time, we are classic” with Nontsikelelo Veleko

Nontsikelelo Veleko (b. 1977) is a South African photographer most notably recognised for her depiction of black identity, urbanisation and fashion in post-apartheid South Africa. Veleko studied photography at the Market Theatre Photo Workshop(1999–2004). In 2006, her photographs were part of the group exhibition, Snap Judgments: New Positions in Contemporary African Photography, at the International…

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EP01: “I wonder as I wander” with Akinbode Akinbiyi

In this debut episode of NKATA, Emeka Okereke is in conversation with Akinbode Akinbiyi. Akinbiyi (b.1946) is a Berlin-based Nigerian photographer, writer, curator and educator who has been working in the art world/ creative field for over four decades. This conversation touches on several aspects of his life and practice beginning with moments and events…

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