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Thursday 6 August 2015

NNO PRESENTED: WHO TAUGHT YOU?

Nubian Nights Out is a collective of artistic and intelligent black women. Their passion about the representation and situation of black people brought them together in December 2014. They focus on creating comfortable real life spaces and experiences for black people, who en masse can be more visibly active online. For their first art exhibition, presented in a lovely little space on Battersea Park Road, NNO venerated the diverse beauty of black women. Across eight walls was spread astounding photography by Kimberley Williams and mixed media pieces by Passions Ink - the guest artist from New York. This information alone indicates the brilliance of this first event by NNO: it was a creative conversation between some of Africa's diasporic children. Such communication is imperative to the progress of black people globally.



NNO commendably curated a homely gallery experience. You walked in to be smiled at by the friendly front-of-house team, to whom you paid £3. Ticket prices generally exclude working class people from culturally enriching events, so NNO are evidently inclusive in that sense. From loud speakers boomed beautiful Afrobeat music. It pleasurably complimented the enchantment of all the black art above your head and beneath your feet. You picked a fruit juice from a pillar in the middle and probably forgot to finish it, as you drank in the splendour on the walls instead. Even more welcoming than these material things was the presence of the artists and the Nubies. They approached you to talk about your thoughts, really encouraging a stimulating experience.




The art everybody responded so well to is worthy of great praise. On the first floor, illuminated by a wealth of natural light, were the grand photos of Kimberley Williams. It was a much-needed multifaceted display of black women. In one picture you could simultaneously see sorrow, strength and sexiness. Right next to it could be a more playful photo, or a regal one. The variety of auras and colours matched the vast range of blackness you could see. All kinds of skin tones, body and hair types, ages and cultures. It was amazing. The Black British community is made up of people from countries all over the world, and I salute Kimberley Williams for showing this properly and respectfully.





Passions Ink had all his art downstairs. His work was refreshing. It was very clear to me that he regards black woman as goddesses, which we are. This positivity exists physically in the creator himself, Vin. He was really encouraging to whoever he spoke to, spreading creative vibes and love and light. I looked at his work and wanted to turn every object and surface I saw into a colourful version of everything in me that I want to express. However some of Vin's work did have very powerful political messages. There were striking images of a black woman strangled and bound by an American flag. Vin shot them in Virginia, where the first group of African people arrived in America as slaves. It was silencing, bringing a meditative energy to the exhibition.




Generally, NNO created a beautiful and safe space where many moods could coexist. I felt at ease at Who Taught You. I felt pride and anger and peace; my black is glorious and the world has tried to hide and suppress its light yet I am still here. Strong.

This collective is part of a new movement that is definitely rising up in London. There is no name for it right now, but at the forefront of it is young people. Black people. We're rising, and I will document it on this blog.


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