Crafting Intimacy and Play

Phoebe Collings-James is a London-based artist whose work spans across sound, performance, ceramics, sculpture and installation. Her works function as “emotional detritus” that speak of knowledges of feelings, the debris of violence, language, and desire which are inherent to living and surviving within hostile environments.

Workshop 3: Scent-Mapping Workshop with Maya Njie
Wednesday 20 September, 6-8pm
ICF @ Block 336

For the third workshop of the series, London based perfumer Maya Njie presented an immersive exploration of fragrance making inspired by the rich cultural history of Brixton.

Taking up Maya’s unique approach to scent creation and using historical images of Brixton held at Black Cultural Archives as a spring board of inspiration, attendees learnt about the basic structures of and explore a variety of natural and synthetic ingredients that are commonly used in perfumery to create their own unique and bespoke blends. Each attendee received a kit containing a 20ml glass dropper bottle to tailor to their own preferences, along with a 7.5ml vial to decant into. They worked from their own formula booklet. This facilitated a creative way to put your own stamp on how you imagine and feel the landscape represents you.

Self-taught perfumer Maya Njie Perfumes has created a range of six gender neutral fragrances, all inspired by her Swedish and West African heritage. Past memories and her old family photographs play a big part in Maya’s inventiveness where she works in a multi-sensory way, combining scent and colour palettes. This adds a perfect and distinctive parallel between our visual and olfactory senses.

Workshop 2: Archiving through Design Workshop with Nabiséré Nicole
Wednesday 30 August, 6-8pm
ICF @ Block 336

For the second workshop of the series, KAKAZI studio Founder Nabiséré Nicole invited participants to connect with their personal archives and journeys, to inspire the development of shapes, patterns, colours and textures in contemporary fashion and print design.

Attendees were asked to bring one or two of the following: an image, an object or an item of clothing as their archival material that they can share a little bit about in pairs. A range of mixed media materials, including inks, charcoal, paper, fabrics and finishings, were provided for participants to map their impressions on a design board.

After graduating from Central St Martins Womenswear degree Nabiséré Nicole founded KAKAZI studio in 2018, at a time when she was seeking connection and authentic representation of African and Caribbean people in the fashion industry. Having lived between London, U.K and Kampala, Uganda, she wanted to connect with people who share this unique diasporan experience. This lay the foundation for Nabiséré’s creative approach in clothing design, research and curation.

Workshop 1: Drawing Workshop with Charmaine Watkiss
Tuesday 27 June, 6-8pm
ICF @ Block 336

For the first workshop of the series, artist Charmaine Watkiss held a conversation with her close friend Taffaswa Balgobin, discussing her artistic journey and influences, as well as the care and creativity that has set the foundation of their 20 year friendship. This was followed by a drawing workshop led by Charmaine, which all workshop participants are invited to take part in. The materials needed for the workshop were provided.

Charmaine Watkiss was born in London to Jamaican parents, she lives and works in London. She completed her MA in Drawing at Wimbledon College of Art, 2018. Her work is concerned with what she calls ‘memory stories’. She creates narratives primarily through research connected to the African Caribbean diaspora, which is then mapped onto female figures. She draws herself only as a conduit to relay stories which speak about a collective experience; starting with a theme then allowing intuition and a dialogue with the work to take over. Her practice addresses themes including, ritual, tradition, ancestry, mythology and cosmology. Charmaine has recently shifted her gaze towards the natural world, investigating the herbal healing traditions of Caribbean women, especially those of her mothers generation, and connecting those traditions through colonisation back to their roots in Africa. The result of which was her first solo show in London, called The Seed Keepers.

Closing Event
Wednesday 29 November 2023
ICF @ Block 336

To mark the end of the Crafting Intimacy and Play workshop series, we invited everyone who had participated in the workshops to join us for a gathering to connect, network, and share reflections on the creative activities we facilitated. The event also featured a soundscape and music by secret luvr.

Images by Mariana Dos Santos.

About ICF

International Curators Forum (ICF) was founded by artists and curators in 2007 to offer a programme of commissions, exhibitions, projects, publications and events that respond to the material conditions and cultural contexts impacting creative practitioners today.

About KAKAZI studio

Based in London, UK, KAKAZI studio is a design and research platform producing lifestyle pieces, alongside special projects and an oral histories platform. Bringing together African and Caribbean diasporan life experiences, KAKAZI studio focuses on platforming the nuances and of contemporary womanhood.