To Have and to Hold: Dang Kingsley

The Kaduna Fashion and Art Festival (KAFART) is back this year for its 6th overall edition and 1st edition as a biennial. The theme is “To Have and to Hold.” We had earlier spoken to the festival director, Ganiyat Sani, about what this edition promises. We spotlight some of the exhibiting artists and designers, asking them questions about their creative origins, their distinct interpretations of the theme, and how their heritage and local communities shape the narratives they choose to preserve against the threat of erasure

Take us back to where your relationship with art began. What are your earliest memories of making, and who or what first made you feel that creating was something you could do, and perhaps needed to do?

My relationship and passion for art began during my secondary school years in 2016 at Cocin secondary school Mangu I began, when I graduated in 2018. I further developed my artistic skills through practical studio experience under the guidance of my secondary school teacher.

This year’s theme, “To Have and to Hold,” asks what we choose to hold, what we let go, and the cost of holding on. When you first sat with those words, what did they stir in you, and how do they show up in the work you’re bringing to KAFART?

The theme to have and to hold to me is an open experiment of  ideas present or developed through practical experience, so I decided to research on  culture of the kaduna cultures and history. Nok art happens to be one of the most interesting and important archives 

Tell us about the piece, or body of work, you’re exhibiting. What is the story behind it, and what do you hope someone feels or understands when they stand in front of it?

My pieces are made of clay, inspired by the famous nok art culture refers to ancient clay (terracotta) created by the nok civilization in central Nigeria between 500 BCE and to 200 CE Named after the Nigerian village where they where first found My artistic practice is rooted in an exploration of material, identity, culture, and everyday experiences

 Take us through how your work comes to life, from the first spark of an idea to the moment you know it’s finished. Which materials, rituals or habits are essential to you, and is there anything about your process that would surprise people?

I sourced my clay myself somewhere around the kaduna river, after preparing the clay I kept it  for some days covered air-tight to age. While it ages for a week I spent my time making sketches of what  I wanted to produce with the clay, and I developed an idea to make terracotta masks for wall aesthetics. hand built pottery was the reasonable thing I could think of doing since I have no pottery wheel. I got inspired by the Nok art styles and motif. After completing my pieces I decided to make an open firing using rice husk to achieve the desired color I wanted (gray)

KAFART 6 asks what endures in the face of erasure and forgetting. Is there a story, tradition, skill or memory from your culture, family or community that you feel is at risk of being lost, and how does your work help you hold onto it?

The use of clay  for local craft is limited in most secondary schools because of the availability of plastic waste, and other materials  most secondary schools rarely make use of clay for local projects. Even tho the ancient Nok terracotta is already famous because it’s being thought in schools and it appears in museums, books, articles I encourage the use of clay as medium for story telling to the younger generation because it holds memories and reminds us of who we are.

KAFART platforms creatives from Northern Nigeria and beyond. What does it mean to you to show your work here, and how has your community, your city and the way you grew up shaped the way you see and make?

My art is  important to me and I see a need to show the world what  I spend my time doing either online, residences or exhibitions. Kafart happens to be one of the places I’m  willing to share my art  experience with other creatives and the community at large through shared experience and partnerships.

Looking beyond this festival, what is the work you haven’t made yet that excites you most, and what do you hope people carry with them after experiencing your work at KAFART?

I’m really looking up to exploring ceramic glazing  techniques and glass  technology with the production of lamp shades using contemporary African motifs.