Art Affects

Most conversations about art and identity overlook one crucial element: the power of counter archiving to challenge dominant narratives. Sana Ginwalla’s journey from discovering her family's hidden photographic archives to creating Zambia Belonging reveals how reclaiming and reinterpreting history can unlock stories of migration, resistance, and community that often go unheard. Her work demonstrates that archives are not static, they're living, breathing sites of resistance that reshape our understanding of the past and inform the future.You'll discover:

In this episode, Sana shares deeply personal stories, from her serendipitous encounters with pioneering photographers in India, to her innovative work in creating accessible art spaces that foster community and dialogue. We break down how her projects, like Zambia Belonging and Everyday Lusaka, are not just archives but active catalysts for social change, inspiring new generations to see themselves reflected in history.Ignoring the potential of the archive as a site for critical, fictional, and activist engagement risks perpetuating incomplete narratives that marginalize vibrant stories from Africa and its diaspora. Conversely, engaging with these counter archives opens opportunities for truth-telling, cultural resistance, and forging solidarity across borders.Perfect for artists, historians, activists, and anyone interested in how visual culture can challenge power, this episode offers a compelling blueprint for transforming archival silence into a symphony of stories. Whether you're building your own project or seeking fresh perspectives on identity, Sana's insights will inspire you to rethink how history, memory, and community intersect through the lens of art and activism.Join us to explore how created and found archives can be the foundation for more inclusive, dynamic narratives that speak to the future while acknowledging complex histories. Your next breakthrough in cultural storytelling starts here.

SANA GINWALLA BIOGRAPHY

Sana Ginwalla (b. 1996) is an Indian-Zambian artist, curator, writer and lecturer born, raised and based in Lusaka. She is the founder of the Everyday Lusaka Gallery and Zambia Belonging counter-archive – curatorial and artistic outputs dedicated to shifting towards a more considered visual representation of Zambia’s

By engaging the public in her exhibitions, Ginwalla’s curatorial work often transcends the protocols of gallery and museum spaces through participatory installations. She is drawn towards bodies of work that explore heritage, memory and the belonging. Working in this way allows her to further understand

You can reach Sana here: 

[email protected]

Water is more than a material in this conversation, it is memory, history, resistance, and healing.

In this episode of Art Affects, we sit down with contemporary artist Khari Turner to explore how water becomes a powerful tool for examining Black identity, ancestral memory, and collective healing. Through water and ink, Turner creates visceral works that reflect on the Middle Passage, racial injustice, spirituality, and resilience.

We discuss:

The connection between water and Black history, including the legacy of the Middle Passage

How art can hold generational trauma and joy at the same time

Why Turner isolates features like noses and lips to challenge representation and stereotypes

The spiritual symbolism of water in contemporary Black art

His innovative process of working with water’s natural movement — veins, lightning-like roots, and atmospheric forces

This conversation explores art as healing, art as remembrance, and art as reclamation.

If you’re interested in:

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In this episode of Art Affects, artist Phoebe Hughes joins the conversation to reflect on her journey into a full-time artistic practice, shaped deeply by her Bermudian heritage, family roots, and lived experience.

Phoebe speaks candidly about what it means to choose art not just as a passion, but as a way of life, navigating uncertainty, financial realities, and the emotional labour that comes with creative work. She shares how personal history and cultural memory inform her practice, and why staying connected to self, family, and community is essential to sustaining a creative life.

This episode is an honest and grounding reflection on resilience, mental wellbeing, and the courage it takes to keep creating, even when the path isn’t linear or secure.

In this episode, we explore:

Phoebe’s artistic journey and Bermudian heritage

How personal history shapes creative practice

The realities of being a full-time artist

Financial sustainability and honesty in the art world

Mental health, resilience, and self-trust

The importance of family support and grounding

🎨 Follow Gherdai Hassell / Art Affects: / hassell_free / theartaffects https://gherdaihassell.com Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on art, wellness, and creativity.

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✿ Find me on tiktok! @hassell_free_ visit Phoebe's website www.phoebehughesart.com Work with me! Business Inquiries: [email protected]

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In this episode of the Art Affects podcast, Gherdai Hassell engages in a profound conversation with artist LiLi Nacht, who reflects on her journey of identity, heritage, and artistic transformation. The discussion explores the role of meditation in her artistic practice, the healing power of art, and the significance of performance in community engagement. LiLi also delves into the complexities of chosen versus inherited identity, emphasizing the importance of cultural heritage and historical narratives in her work. Through her art, LiLi seeks to create a space for reflection and connection, ultimately highlighting the enduring nature of cultural traditions and personal exploration.

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visit Lili's website www.lilinacht.com

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In this episode, Jessica Valoris shares her journey as an interdisciplinary artist, exploring how her work rooted in Black American and Jewish ancestry serves as a tool for healing, community building, and liberation. She discusses the importance of creative rituals, the intersection of art and wellness, and the role of art in imagining new worlds.

Jessica Valoris, interdisciplinary art, healing, community building, liberation, creative rituals, art and wellness

🎨 Follow jessica Valoris: / @jessicavaloris https://jessicavaloris.com/ Order Jessica's Study Kit How We Be Free is a tool that celebrates and resources the Black radical tradition. It invites people to reclaim local histories of care, justice, and resistance; to create counter-narratives centered in Black joy and interdependence; and to nourish today’s movements for abolition, reparations, climate justice, and collective liberation. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/... 🎨 Follow Gherdai Hassell / Art Affects: / hassell_free / theartaffects https://gherdaihassell.com Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on art, wellness, and creativity. ✿Join my community https://skool.com/the-well-8822

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In this episode of Art Affects, Gherdai Hassell sits down with artist and educator Louise Mandumbwa to explore how identity, belonging, and memory materialize through creative practice. Together, they trace the threads of migration, care, and imagination that shape the stories artists carry ,and reimagine belonging through material and memory.

In this intimate and layered conversation, Gherdai Hassell and Louise Mandumbwa reflect on how art becomes a vessel for remembering, reimagining, and reclaiming identity. From their meeting at the Chautauqua residency to their shared devotion to storytelling through form, texture, and spirit, they speak on navigating displacement, the politics of representation, and the sacred act of making.

Louise discusses her evolving practice,  how she merges portraiture, memory, and found materials to create new visual languages that honor both the personal and collective. Together, they explore what it means to belong while in motion, how teaching can be a form of care, and how artists transform material into meaning.

This episode is an offering,  a meditation on presence, transformation, and the quiet strength found in returning to the self.

00:00 — Introduction: Meeting Louise at Chautauqua and the meaning of artistic encounters

Louise Mandumbwa is a Botswana-born visual artist and educator based in the U.S. Her work explores the intersections of identity, migration, and memory, often through portraiture and material experimentation. Louise has exhibited internationally and is recognized for her nuanced explorations of cultural hybridity, personal history, and belonging.

Art Affects, hosted by Gherdai Hassell , is a podcast exploring the connection between art, wellness, and the creative process. Each episode invites artists, thinkers, and makers to reflect on how art shapes who we are and how we live.

In this episode I cover:

🎨 Whether you’re an artist, writer, musician, or simply someone trying to live more creatively, you belong here. Subscribe for more videos on art, creativity, and living a life that feels true to you.

I’m Gherdai, a multidisciplinary artist, host of the Art Affects Podcast, and wellness practitioner. My purpose is to build communty through art.

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In this episode, I relect and explore the transformation that comes from embracing your identity as an artist.We discuss how creativity opens doors to self-discovery, healing, and deeper connection.

Whether you’re just beginning your artistic journey or seeking renewed inspiration, this episode invites you to reflect on how art can change not only what you create but who you are.

Tune in, and let’s take this journey of transformation together.

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Can you believe its been 5 years y'all!?

Episode Description:

Why I Started This Podcast:

Whether you’re a returning listener or brand new to the podcast, this episode is your personal invite to slow down, tune in, and reconnect with yourself through the lens of art, storytelling, and reflection. Let’s reintroduce ourselves, because sometimes, starting fresh is the most powerful thing we can do.

Peace, 

Gherdai 

This podcast episode is sponsored by The Catapult Caribbean Artist Showcase Grant. made possible by the American Friends of Jamaica, Fresh Milk Barbados, and Kingdom Creative. Thank you

is your neighborhood vibe dealer, who uses music as a medium to invigorate his listeners emotions through a fusion of introspective lyrics & soulful sounds.

Buzby has cemented himself as a reputable architect within Bermuda’s creative culture, making music for roughly 10 years now.

In 2013, he was awarded the Capital G Inspiration Scholarship for artistically talented students. Since then, he has released calculated singles that have been featured in Bermuda’s Top 100 (via Streaming platforms) & has received over 100,000 plays on SoundCloud from all walks of life.

He is influenced by musical icons such as OutKast, Anita Baker, Bob Marley, Jay-Z & Sade. 

2021 looks to be an impactful year for Buzby as he has released his debut EP “What You Failed to Observe”, available  December 2020.

You can listen to his music here:

https://lnk.to/WhatYouFailedtoObserve

You can connect with him here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buildinthebuzz/?hl=ur

Twitter: https://twitter.com/buildinthebuzz