News and updates from the Nest Collective.
ON INSTAGRAM:
We are excited to announce the kickoff series of online conversations to wrap our Stroom Den Haag residency, Our House, Your Home! Over the next couple weeks (11th May to 9th June), our very own Sunny Dolat, Jim Chuchu and Njoki Ngumi will be presenting and discussing ‘Material Languages’, a series of new artworks reflecting on how textiles help us unpack belonging, identity, culture and design.
Read MoreOur very own Dr. Akati Khasiani will be a panelist at the very first Artfluence Human Rights Festival! It is an online festival taking place between 5th and 8th May 2021, focused on arts, the constitution and democracy. The theme of this first edition is ‘Voices of Hope, Courage and Resilience’, marking the 25th anniversary of the University of Kwa Zulu Natal’s Centre for Creative Arts as a creative enabler and advocate, as well as the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the South African Constitution.
Read MoreOur very own Sunny Dolat has been undertaking an original textile exploration, which he has titled ‘Nanga’, exploring 3 interesting and very different elements: ritual textiles, contemporary African textiles and sustainable textiles. We’re incredibly excited to present his first launch from Nanga: A print named 'Nandi Flame', illustrated by graphic designer and illustrator Monica Obaga, and inspired by the ubiquitous and lovely Nandi Flame tree, also commonly known as the African Tulip tree.
Read MoreFor the past year, the Nest has been exploring textiles as a medium, in a continuum of, and as an extension of, our work in fashion. We have been able to expand on this new work in an arts residency called ‘Our House, Your Home’, hosted by the Dutch, Hague-based art center and gallery, Stroom Den Haag. ‘Our House, Your Home’ invited us to take over the Stroom space, to study, research, experiment, make, discuss and exhibit our new explorations.
Read MoreStrictly Silk presents the #SSAtHome April Edition, focusing on the theme of community conversations and care in sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), capturing snapshots of many diverse truths from different angles, and exploring some of what we have to offer one another as support.
Read MoreOur very own Njoki Ngumi and Jim Chuchu will be in conversation with the SHIFT Collective and Tuzi Creatives, speaking about their respective featured artworks in the Invisible Inventories exhibition. They'll discuss the concepts behind the artworks, and will also be answering all your questions about any of the artworks featured in the exhibition! They'll be online today (Wednesday 14th April 2021) at 7PM EAT, live on the International Inventories Programme’s Youtube page!
Read MoreOur very own Jim Chuchu was selected as one of 20 global trailblazers for the incredible 2021 TED Fellow Program! The TED Fellow Program is a TED initiative program that convenes young visionaries who have and continue to show inspiring work and accomplishments in their respective disciplines. The program provides revolutionary support to those selected, in order that they may collaborate, and share new ideas and research across disciplines, to create positive change around the world.
Read More#SSAtHome featured a week full of incredible offerings, from several new and old SS favs, to celebrate International Women’s Day! Day 1 kicked off with a wonderful conversation between Kenyan political actors and luminaries, Martha Karua SC and Scheaffer Okore, where they discussed everything from the status of women in the Kenyan political space, to their hopes for the country's growing political space, their favourite music and so much more!
Read MoreInvisible Inventories, an exhibition project by the International Inventories Programme officially opened at the Nairobi National Museum yesterday! Invisible Inventories is a project that explores the questions of the objects’ absence in Kenya and reflects on this loss through art, research, inquiry and collaboration. This exhibition has been more than 2 years in the making!
Read MoreOur last Strictly Silk event was the Strictly Silk Amsterdam Edition, in February of 2020. Our Njeri and Akati, alongside our SS day ones Coco Em and Miss Ray, went for our first international edition, which was held in collaboration with our partners the Prince Claus Fund, and their friends Mama Cash! This was just before the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the world in ways that have affected us all.
Read MoreOur very own Sunny Dolat and Noel Kayoka co-directed LOOKU, a film celebrating Nairobi’s affair with fashion and style. The 5-minute film is an audiovisual accompaniment to Wauzine—a limited three-issue digital publication by the British Council East Africa Arts Programme through Creative DNA!
Read MoreOur very own Sunny Dolat is the creative director of WAUZINE—a limited three-issue digital publication by the British Council East Africa Arts Programme through Creative DNA! This was done in partnership with Mettā Nairobi, Fashion Scout UK and our sister company HEVA Fund, and features 11 emerging designers from Kenya. WAUZINE is a digital showcase that brings together cross cultural collaborations between writers, illustrators and creative teams in Nairobi and London. The WAUZINE body of work includes 3 issues of an online magazine, and a fashion film!
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