Where's My Space

The pandemic has seen the prolonged closure of arts and cultural venues across the globe, the spaces where we congregate such as arts centres, youth clubs, community centres, dancehalls and theatres. It has also inhibited our freedom to gather and converse in public spaces, cafes, bars and our own homes; places we shared stories and socialised with family and friends. In the arts, we have needed to create other opportunities for social interaction, performance, exhibition and exchange in virtual spaces.

Where’s My Space? is a collaborative digital project that has brought together two organisations from Kenya and Wales, PAWA254 and Ffotogallery Wales, to create a virtual gathering place, or ‘Base Noma’ (to use a Kenyan expression) where young creatives from the partner countries came together to co-design and develop a unique space for visual storytelling. The project was an opportunity for two dynamic cultural organisations to co-design and develop a unique space for visual storytelling as well as connect young creatives from Kenya and Wales. We have been working with four trailblazing creatives, two from Wales and two from Kenya as well as a 4^th year student from the University of West of England as our 3D designer and overseeing the architectural visualisation of Where’s my Space?

Nancy Cherwon also known as Chela is a Kenyan painter, graffiti artist and illustrator, her work tackle’s themes on culture, spiritualism and identity. She makes use of symbolisms, colour, and patterns to set the tone of each painting. Gufy is a Kenyan spoken word poet, cinematographer and photographer. Abby Poulson is a photographic artist born and raised in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Her work explores ideas surrounding her homeland, whilst also responding to Welsh identity, environmental concerns, the rural, memory and place. Gilbert Sabiti is an artist and illustrator; his work mainly involves investigating his Rwandan and British heritage and experiences of growing up Black British; much of his designs lie primarily in publication and illustration. James Reed our 3D designer/architect has been involved in the architectural visualisation of the spaces using a software called SketchUp as well as Vray to generate final renders which Oliver Norcott, Ffotogallery’s freelance Designer used the panoramic images from James’ render and stitched them together into 3D Vista to generate the final space. The project curators were Cynthia MaiWa Sitei, Creative Producer at Ffotogallery Wales and Njeri Mwangi, Co-Founder of PAWA Initiative and Special Project Leads of PAWA254.

The four creatives saw no boundaries within the project and took it as an opportunity to push themselves in reclaiming and reimagining spaces that represent them, their identity, practice and being.

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About Artists

Abby Poulson

Abby Poulson is a photographic artist born and raised in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Employing cameraless techniques, alternative processes, installation and sculpture, Abby uses her process broadly and experimentally to explore ideas surrounding her homeland, whilst also responding to

Welsh identity, environmental concerns, the rural, memory and place. Abby is also a practicing curator and creative producer, and has been exhibited and published throughout Wales and the United Kingdom.

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Gilbert Sabiti

I’m a Multi-disciplinary freelance graphic designer based in Bristol. Much of my practice is driven by content and narrative. Storytelling is essentially the core of my creativity and is mostly inspired by world issues. I use editorial and type to deliver content mostly in the format of zines.

Chelagat

Chelagat was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1992.

She works primarily in the medium of painting; acrylics on canvas and paper.

She also uses aerosol paints and digital illustrations in her expressions.

Professional Background

Chelagat attained her Bachelors degree at the University of Nairobi in 2015, where she studied design and majored in Illustration.

She has exhibited some of her pieces at the Alliance Francaise Nairobi, Subtopia studios in Sweden, Kerry Civic Parker gallery in Australia, Logale house in Juba, The Baobab house in Juba, the Bega kwa Bega arts collective in Babadogo, Ibuka in the Univeristy and for street art the walls of Kerry Civic parker gallery in Australia, Uganda National Museum Kitintale skating park (Kampla), mamba in Kigali, Jericho, Eastleigh and many more.

The main themes that she tackles are on culture,
spritualism and identity. She makes use of symbolism, colour and patterns to set the tone of each painting.