Beatrice Ajayi – Croi Croga

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Oct 212020
 

Museum of Childhood, 42 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1TG

With a West African heritage, fine artist and illustrator Beatrice Ajayi was born in Scotland. Having both cultures laced through her upbringing gave her a perspective that is creative, refreshing and unique. There is a freedom of expression that entwines an endless supply of narrative. As a child, she spent most of her time drawing writing stories, dancing and singing her own songs. After completing an Art Foundation course at Croydon College in Surrey, she went on to do a BA (Hons) Degree at Nottingham Trent University.

Beatrice’s work has been described as both “engaging and daring”, and been exhibited in galleries across the UK. Since her early teens, she has continued to develop her unique style as a fine artist and illustrator.
This new piece, in a style she describes as African Anime, was specially designed for the Mural Trail and is inspired by her experience of growing up as a Black Scottish child.

Beatrice Ajayi

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
http://www.beatriceajayi.com/

Ayo Adedeji

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Oct 212020
 

The Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2JL

Ayo Adedeji was born In Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the UK at one year old. A self-taught artist, based in Edinburgh. Ayo creates his images using traditional graphite pencils, charcoal and transfers these images onto various digital platforms.

Ayo Adedeji

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://www.instagram.com/buludej/

Kokumo Fadeke Rocks

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Oct 212020
 

The Writers’ Museum, Lawnmarket, Lady Stair’s Cl, Edinburgh EH1 2PA

Kokumo was raised in Cowdenbeath. She describes herself as an African/Asian /Scottish writer and performance poet and has performed in the UK, USA, India and Africa. Her collections Bad Ass Raindrop (2002), Stolen From Africa (2007), and Happily Drowning (2019) were published by Luath Press.

This exhibit showcases two poems written by Kokomo Fadeke Rocks titled ‘Stolen From Africa’ and ‘See You, See Me’.

Kokumo Fadeke Rocks

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://www.luath.co.uk/kokumo-rocks

Jeda Pearl Lewis – Beloved Black

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Oct 212020
 

Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD

A newly commissioned poem written by Edinburgh based poet Jeda Pearl Lewis, titled ‘Beloved Black’ the text begins

Black is the absorption of all visible light
You are life
You are the scattered dust of stars, full-spectrum,
generating the cosmos throughout spacetime
You are a gift

Jeda Pearl is a Scottish-Jamaican writer & poet and a Programme Manager for the Scottish BAME Writers Network. In 2019, she was awarded Cove Park’s Emerging Writer Residency and shortlisted for the Bridge Awards. Her writing is published by TSS Publishing, Momaya Press, Tapsalteerie
and Shoreline of Infinity.

Jeda Pearl Lewis

Find out more

Tayo Adekunle – History Not Fashion

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Oct 212020
 

Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1SR

Tayo Adekunle is a British Nigerian photographer based in Edinburgh. Working a lot with selfportraiture, she uses her work to explore issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality as well as racial and colonial history.

Her work is centred around reworkings of historical tropes relating to the black female body, taking from contexts that include art historical paintings and sculptures as well as 19th-century colonial photography. By placing historical imagery in a contemporary context, the relationship between the treatment of the black female body in the past and its treatment in the present day is explored.

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://tayo-adekunle.format.com/collages

Tony Kalisa – United We Stand

 BLM Mural Trail (Edinburgh)  No Responses »
Oct 212020
 

Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3AA

Tony Brown Kalisa is an 18-year-old self-taught graphic artist, born in Uganda he has called Edinburgh his home for 4 years. His style utilities a variety of images and techniques to build a design made up of many layers. Tony’s creative practice is continually inspired by his mother who raised him as a single parent with African values in a western context.

His artwork was inspired by the various protest that happened across the world in response to the killing of George Floyd and in support of Black Lives Matter and the fact that this show of solidarity was lead by young people of all races.

Tony Kalisa with his mum.

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://tayo-adekunle.format.com/collages

Farah Nazley – Full Stop

 BLM Mural Trail (Edinburgh)  No Responses »
Oct 212020
 

North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Rd, Edinburgh EH4 4TZ

Farah is an Edinburgh artist who works in watercolour, acrylic, pastel, collage and charcoal. As a disabled woman of South East Asian heritage, Farah has lived experience of racism and discrimination which is often reflected in her work. In 2019 her work featured in the Out of Sight, Out of Mind exhibition at Summerhall.

Farah Nazley

Her artwork calls for an end to racism. Full Stop!

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/

Rosa assisting the artist.

Saoirse Amira Anis – We Can Still Dance

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Oct 212020
 

Jupiter Artland, Bonnington House The Steadings, Wilkieston, Edinburgh EH27 8BY

Saoirse’s creative process is inspired by her fascination with interconnectedness and movement in both everyday life, and her cultural heritage. She considers the potential that lies in caring for ourselves and others and the extent to which this nurturing can benefit us both personally and politically.

“We Can Still Dance references the negative impact of Hollywood’s Magical Negro trope on myself and many others. This trope enforces the stereotype that Black people merely exist to nurture and support our white counterparts. I want to flip this stereotype to reinforce Audre Lorde’s idea that caring for ourselves as Black womxn is an act of political warfare and allows us to define our own destiny. We may project our light onto the world, but first, we must shine for ourselves.

Personally, I feel this self-nourishment while dancing. If ever I am confronted by fear, I try to remember that Audre told me “I can still dance”, and the fear turns itself into fire.

Saoirse Amira Anis

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://www.saoirse-anis.com/

Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun – I can’t breathe

 BLM Mural Trail (Edinburgh)  No Responses »
Oct 212020
 

The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE

This series of photographs was taken by photographer Jamal Yussuff-Adelakun, a British born Nigerian now based in Edinburgh. His daughter Lola was the model and he says:

I always promised myself that when I had children, I would speak to them about their culture and heritage (including other cultures) and the reality of life, from birth; the things I know they won’t be taught in school. The day the news about George Floyd broke, I spoke to my daughter briefly about it. She understood the importance of what I just told her and we felt compelled to create our own response.

The results are what you see, and much of the concept came from her, focusing on the poignancy of “I can’t breathe”.

Jamal and Lola Yussuff-Adelakun

https://www.wezi.uk/mural-trail-locations/
https://www.instagram.com/blmmuraltrail/
https://www.facebook.com/papajgunphotography/

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