02 Delightful English Summer
A Thought…
From Shadeh
Summer comes with the pressure to be out, be busy and be spontaneous. I used to think of being spontaneous as one of my better traits, but I think I at times confuse that with being impulsive. Something I’ve been working on - but have by no means mastered - is embracing the slow life. Slower in my thoughts, slower in my decisions and slower in lifestyle. What do I want to do? Why am I saying yes or no? What company do I want to keep? How can I be present in this moment?
5 Things…
Selected by Ronan
Teeth Kissin’ by Divine Southgate-Smith Exhibition at Soup Gallery
A beautiful conceptually and pragmatically layered solo exhibition in South London. Closes on Sunday 12th August - catch the last few days!
Against The Odds: An Autobiography of James Dyson on Founders Podcast
My dear friend Catarina (founder of adaptogenic powered beauty brand Herbar) recommended this podcast to me and I found it so inspiring; a great lesson in perseverance, trusting oneself and being creative with our means.
CITY FLOWERS by Ollie Olanipekun at Camden Arts Centre
A new special initiative by founder of Futurimpose and co-founder of Birdwatching club Flock Together, CITY FLOWERS launches on the 24th August with a free night of experimental musical performances.
Reflections for Now: Carrie Mae Weems Exhibition at The Barbican Centre
I had the great honour of interviewing Carrie Mae Weems in celebration of this breathtaking and important exhibition. Fridays from 5-8pm are Pay What You Can entry, open until 3rd September.
Marie Mitchell Supper Club at South London Louie
Delicious delicious food and always the most wholesome and wonderful vibes, catch Marie on 24th August ahead of the launch of her first cookbook, Kin!
Feel free to send recommendations via: hello@homebyrm.space
Artist Spotlight…
Chosen by Haja
I came across Okiki Anife's work at this year’s RCA graduate show, where a piece titled 'Sometimes I Like Long Titles' caught my eye. In this painting, a person is loosely draped across their bed with the light gently bouncing off their thigh. We also see a peek of a familiar character, Riley Freeman from the TV series Boondocks.
Anife's work emanates a sense of familiarity and tenderness, drawing viewers in with her striking yet welcoming technique. My favourite piece is 'Lili Kim' where she captures movement with finesse. By painting on linen, Anife not only adds a textural element to her work but also infuses it with a warmth that complements the brown she often uses in her work.
Ask a HOMEie…
This is where you have the opportunity to ask us your burning questions and get our advice/ hear our opinions.
Click here to send us your question.
On our minds…
Reflection by Courtney
The last couple of weeks we have all binge-watched Dreaming Whilst Black and it’s safe to say: we love to see it. We (I) love the romcom meet-cute in Episode 1. We love a dream sequence. We love that it is honest about how challenging it can be to be black in the creative/+ cultural industries, without serving trauma trauma trauma. As the series develops we see the protagonist Kwabs fall victim to what Ronan very succinctly summarises as “the sometimes unconscious dramatisation of the difficult parts of our lives to gain attention without doing anything practical to support our communities out of that.” Whew! Ok, so admittedly it is a little heavy, but it is also delightfully light and if that isn’t an allegory for life itself I don’t know what is. As my Grandma used to say all the time: “I have to laugh, otherwise I’ll cry”.
We won’t spoil any more for you, go watch Dreaming Whilst Black on BBC iPlayer and let us know what you think.
And one more thing…
Common Ground has opened at Tate Modern! Designed by Ronan, the Level Two Blavatnik Building concourse has transformed in to an open, free, comfortable space for visitors to use and enjoy. In conjunction with A World in Common: Contemporary African Photography curated by Osei Bonsu, Common Ground hosts a library of books selected by Osei and Ronan, and a selection of music curated by Touching Bass. Open until January 2024.
Writing HOME is written with love to share our thoughts, insights, musings and recommendations with you.
Thanks for reading!
Haja, Shadeh, Courtney & Ronan