(Featured Image: Eye to Eye by Sonya Clark)

Black Rock Senegal today announced the official selection of artists for the inaugural year of its artist-in-residence program developed by Kehinde Wiley. Between August 2019 and April 2020, Black Rock will host 16 international, multi-disciplinary artists to live and work in Dakar, Senegal, on the Westernmost point of continental Africa. 

For the inaugural year, Black Rock received over 700 applications from around the world. 

The selected artists for Black Rock 2019-20 are: Tunji Adeniyi-Jones (UK, Painting), Laurence Bonvin(Switzerland, Film), Sonya Clark (USA, Sculpture), Yagazie Emezi (Nigeria, Photography), Nona Faustine(USA, Photography), Devin B. Johnson (USA, Painting), Heather Jones (USA, Textiles), Grace Lynne(USA, Painting), Zanoxolo Sylvester Mqeku (South Africa, Sculpture), Kelechi Njoku (Nigeria, Writing), Chelsea Odufu (USA, Film), Kambui Olujimi (USA, Mixed Media), Zohra Opoku (Ghana, Mixed Media),Rafael RG (Brazil, Mixed Media), Tajh Rust (USA, Painting) and Ytasha Womack (USA, Film). 

This year’s artists have been selected by an esteemed committee of artists and museum professionals comprised of: Swizz Beatz, Artist and Producer; ThelmaGolden, Director and Chief Curator, Studio Museum in Harlem; Thomas Lax, Curator of Performance and Media Art, The Museum of Modern Art; Christine Riding, Head of the Curatorial Department, The National Gallery in London; Mickalene Thomas, Artist; and Carrie Mae Weems, Artist.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

Named for the volcanic rocks that blanket its shoreline, Black Rock is a residency program created by renowned artist Kehinde Wiley which seeks to incite change in the global discourse around West Africa in the context of creative evolution. The residency brings together international artists to live and work in Dakar, Senegal for 1-3 month stays. 

Black Rock residents are provided room, board, individual studio space, a local staff to aid in navigating Dakar and a language tutor to assist with English, French, and Wolof– the three primary languages of the program. Residents are also supported by a stipend for incidentals and additional art supplies.

The Black Rock compound design was conceived by Senegalese architect Abib Djenne with interior collaboration between Wiley, Fatiya Djenne, and Aissa Dione. The complex includes a residence and studio space for Wiley along with three single-occupancy residency apartments with adjacent studio spaces.

For additional information about the residency please visit blackrocksenegal.org and follow us on Instagram @blackrocksenegal