Published on March 22, 2024

Season 2 of Rezidan is in full swing and La Kocotte Artistique has become a vibrant space of interaction and creation for participating artists as they prepare for this year’s exhibition in Telfair. Here is an interview with the programme’s curator and Director of Imaaya Art Gallery, Charlie d’Hotman and three artists from this year’s cohort.

Rezidan’s visual arts residency, Émergence offers participants a great opportunity to solidify their artistic style while fostering creative encounters. “I was pleasantly surprised by the spirit of solidarity and sharing among these new artists,” Charlie reflects on the first season of Émergence. “It is very interesting to witness such interactions, in addition to my motivation to help them bring out their individuality.” 

Encouraging group interaction is a rewarding highlight of the experience for the curator, a view shared by all participating artists. They particularly enjoy the human and artistic connections fostered by the programme. According to them, these initial group interactions will help further develop their individuality. 

An in-depth exploration for Zilien

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This experimental artist’s versatility stems from his studies. While his training in visual arts explored various media, including painting and installation, he will focus on painting for the residency.
“I wanted to take the time to return to my foundation, especially after working on installations during my studies, and I am eager to play with shapes, depth and colour. The works of de Chirico and Magritte have always fascinated me and this residency is an opportunity to find my own approach to these elements and explore the symbolism of colours and shapes for the human psyche.” 

A journey through interactivity with Laura Pang

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This artist works with various media, including canvas and rugs, with a particular fondness for the latter. She discovered this medium on YouTube during the lockdown period and it was “love at first scroll.”
“From the outset, Moka Smart City’s Art & Culture Manager, Mathieu Pigeot and Charlie told us this was the perfect opportunity to explore new approaches. I knew rugs would be part of the experiment but I wasn’t sure how exactly. Charlie encouraged me to consider the symbolism of rugs for others and what I want my art to represent. So this residency is an opportunity for me to bring more life and interactivity into my art.” 

Kris Ankamah, at the crossroads of cultures

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A self-taught artist, Kris draws inspiration from his family’s African statuettes and fetishes. Driven by artistic curiosity, he has undertaken research on African primitive art and culture to establish the basis for his style. “This experience has allowed me to delve deeper into my exploration and experiment further with materials and techniques,” he says.
“At this stage, the possibilities seem endless, with each study producing a different result. I place special emphasis on feedback from my previous works, which highlighted an unexpected oriental flavour, which was not part of my initial inspiration. So I intend to explore the possible link between African and Oriental cultures to allow a unique style to emerge.” 

Émergence embodies the evolution of artistic styles, creative processes and personalities. These intrinsic qualities enable artists to stand out and leave their mark through original works that will soon be on display in Telfair! 

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