which celebrates Black living room culture through the work of 20 artists. “The experience features artists who transport us into their homes all over the world,” she explains. “And the rare opportunity for art lovers to personally discover and connect with artists from across the globe from the comfort of their own living rooms.”
It makes for a wistful narrative: a literal trip down memory lane, the exhibition taking its name from an expression used by her grandmother growing up in Nairobi. Onalo reflects on how much art, despite the world’s current viciousness, can run in tandem with human emotion and memory. “The last few months have been collectively challenging, but art continues to play its part in documenting history and emotions,” she says.
Coming to terms with an unsettling racial crisis is no easy feat. However, having grown up immersed in art and culture, the feel-good factor of the exhibition – and the intimate work of the artists involved – feels infectious. Speaking on her journey as a Black woman, Onalo says: “My response is to curate and share art that moves me and wholly represents varied Black experiences.
A rising advocate and leader of her own right, Vanessa Kanaiza Onalo spoke to AnOther about the consuming project, in her own words.“‘No shoes on my carpet’ – my grandmother said this to me every time I rushed into her living room after playing out in Nairobi; the phrase is now embedded in my mind. To my older self, it is a mark of respect when entering someone’s home.