Art

Explore the art commissioned by Kumbukumbu

My Story in Red

by Taiye Omokore

My Story In Red is a visual and narrative journey intertwining my Nigerian heritage with my experiences in Wales, exploring themes of identity, culture, and connection. Rooted in personal memories, this project draws inspiration from my upbringing in Idofin, Nigeria, where the traditions of my people—like watching my mother wrap her gele with pride—shaped my understanding of resilience and beauty. A particular image of her from 1999, sitting with my sister and me as newborn twins, dressed in elegance and hope, has stayed with me, serving as a constant reminder of my roots and the strength embedded in our culture.

At its core, this series uses red—a color symbolizing love, loss, celebration, and longing—to unify its themes. Through photographs, I explore the vibrant connections between Nigeria’s cultural symbols, such as the gele and filá (iconic caps), and their reinterpretation through the lived experiences of Black Welsh people with African heritage. The series highlights how these communities preserve and adapt cultural traditions, using locations like St Fagans National Museum of History to frame narratives of identity, resilience, and belonging.This project also reflects the universal experience of immigration—the challenge of leaving one’s homeland and adapting to a new world. Like many immigrants, I have navigated the duality of belonging and displacement, seeking familiarity in a foreign place while preserving memories of home. Through My Story In Red, I share this journey as a collective narrative, balancing the past with the present and bridging cultural divides.

By focusing on themes that resonate universally, My Story In Red aims to foster dialogue and inspire a deeper appreciation for the shared human experience, celebrating the beauty and strength that transcend borders and time. Through this work, I invite viewers to connect with the shared human story of navigating the past and present, bridging cultural divides through visual storytelling.

By Any Means Necessary

by Amber Forde

A collaborative project curated by Amber Forde, with a focus on working Black Welsh artists.

By any Means Necessary is about exploring ideas of ancestral heritage and how that ties to Wales, while exploiting what it means being an artist working and living in Wales.

How do you crave out space in a world intent on defining you by halves?

“In the in between”

by Regan

This portrait captures the struggle of growing up mixed-race—Black and white—in Wales, pressing against the invisible barriers of identity, belonging, and rejection.

The subject’s face is smushed against glass, her distorted features embodying the tension of being stretched between two worlds.

The glass symbolises the unspoken rules of small-town life, where questions of “What are you?” meet the crushing pressure of invisibility. Her flattened nose, pressed lips, and intense eyes reveal both frustration and a determination to push through.

The piece asks: how do you carve out space in a world intent on defining you by halves?

Photographs by Chillee

Outerwoven

by Gavin Porter

Outerwoven is a photography project celebrating difference. It involves taking portraits of people with African ancestry who are from or living in Wales. The project's philosophy is that race, as we understand it, doesn't truly exist; it's a concept, and in reality, we're all the same. Some of the people I've photographed have clear African heritage, while for others, their ancestry may not be immediately apparent.

I spent an intensive weekend in October photographing individuals with African heritage in Wales. Drawing inspiration from Chiaroscuro, as a storyteller at heart, I sought to capture a narrative within each portrait. This Outerwoven project marks my venture into portraiture, a new medium I’m eager to explore.