ODDA Conversations

South African artist Zandile Tshabalala reflects on the evolution of African art, the impact of strong female role models in her life, and her first solo art exhibition, titled “ Enter Paradise” which will shortly be underway at the ADA \ contemporary art gallery in Ghana.

The British-born and New York-based ceramic artist, Jesse Wine, has been on quite a roll recently, with two solo exhibitions at the SculptureCentre and Simone Subal Gallery in New York in just the past six months. Wine’s work with contorted limbs as well as abstract objects that combine color, shape, and form in unique ways intuitively show that they have been cleverly informed by the works of his predecessors in the ceramic art space, Ken Price and Peter Voulkos. While Wine’s recent artistic exploration when it comes to the expansion of scale in his work is something to keep an eye out for in the future.

The public has an idea of fashion people being chilly and aloof. Talk to Steven Kolb for even a few minutes and you’ll find that that isn’t so. Dapper and stylish to be sure, there is no hint of Miranda Priestly-style frostiness in his demeanor. Kolb is warm, engaging, and light. And it’s immediately clear that he cares deeply about his role in promoting not only American fashion as the CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), but also facilitating diversity in the industry, and addressing sustainability.

In conversation with Jessica Michault

Blacktag is bringing the core of Black culture to the center stage. Described as a global content platform, production company, and connector between Black creators and brands, it serves to help content-focused Black innovators across the African diaspora monetize the culture they are known to originate. The startup dreams to serve as both a hub for alternative Black artists, and a social-entertainment platform for the wide audience that values various aspects of afro-diasporic culture.

Co-founders Akin Adebowale and Ousman Sahko-Sow are at the heart of the business. The two West-African-born entrepreneurs connected over their professional experiences with content-creation and a mutual understanding of the gap surrounding Black consumption within the tech world. This, coupled with the collective understanding of the economic disadvantages Black people face led to them creating the company. With Akin as the “imagination,” and Ousman as the “motivation” -- two characteristics voiced by senior producer Melissa Tropnas -- Blacktag’s team holds a sense of intention, self-regard, and high-level execution clearly seen in their film, “Black Art is Black Money”. The visual brings cultural generators Miski, Jalaiah Harmon, Sage Elsesser, and more together to portray the conversations Black friend groups have with one another surrounding cultural appropriation’s effect on Black artistry and Black legacy.

In our conversation, we speak with Akin, Ousman, and Melissa about the team’s collaboration styles, the everlasting richness of alternative Black artists, and more.

In conversation with Nneka Anozie

Conversation curated by Jessica Michault

Special Thanks to Mode World

Original Music by Valerio Parrotta 

Edited by Dominic Celemen

Blacktag is bringing the core of Black culture to the center stage. Described as a global content platform, production company, and connector between Black creators and brands, it serves to help content-focused Black innovators across the African diaspora monetize the culture they are known to originate. The startup dreams to serve as both a hub for alternative Black artists, and a social-entertainment platform for the wide audience that values various aspects of afro-diasporic culture.

Co-founders Akin Adebowale and Ousman Sahko-Sow are at the heart of the business. The two West-African-born entrepreneurs connected over their professional experiences with content-creation and a mutual understanding of the gap surrounding Black consumption within the tech world. This, coupled with the collective understanding of the economic disadvantages Black people face led to them creating the company. With Akin as the “imagination,” and Ousman as the “motivation” -- two characteristics voiced by senior producer Melissa Tropnas -- Blacktag’s team holds a sense of intention, self-regard, and high-level execution clearly seen in their film, “Black Art is Black Money”. The visual brings cultural generators Miski, Jalaiah Harmon, Sage Elsesser, and more together to portray the conversations Black friend groups have with one another surrounding cultural appropriation’s effect on Black artistry and Black legacy.

In our conversation, we speak with Akin, Ousman, and Melissa about the team’s collaboration styles, the everlasting richness of alternative Black artists, and more.

In conversation with Nneka Anozie

Harvey Mason Jr. has had a pretty wild ride as Interim CEO and President of the Recording Academy. He was tapped for the top post just days before the Grammys took place in January 2020. He then spent the rest of the year helping musicians make it through the pandemic via the Academy’s MusiCares initiative, responded to the social justice movement by launching the Black Music Collective project, and more recently he made the tough call to push back the 2021 Grammys show to March 14th, in reaction to the COVID-19 conditions in California. Music is Mason’s life’s blood and he is on a mission with the non-profit Recording Academy to uplevel the industry as it faces the new normal.

Designer Danielle Hirsch is expanding the concept behind her bridal brand Danielle Frankel with her fall 2021 collection. She is dipping her toe into the world of ready-to-wear. Albeit it’s a ready-to-wear that is clearly earmarked for event dressing, be that a wedding, a future gala or red carpet moment.

Visual storyteller Alexandre de Betak, who has produced some of the most unforgettable fashion shows, exhibitions and events of the past 30 years weighs in on the transformation of the industry into a fully digital narrative this season. He also examines, a year after he debuted his company’s “10 Commandments” of sustainability, how the business has fared so far and where he thinks fashion will be heading in the future.

Actor, musician, and ever stylish Darrell Britt-Gibson is no stranger to a set. Starring in series like “Barry”, “Shameless”, and “The Wire”, Britt-Gibson is known to support many stories and visions on their way to becoming hit television shows. Though he loves and treats all roles equally, the star is allowing a higher-leveled sense of alignment to come to his current and future work as he plots to make his own mark on the industry. His most recent artistic undertaking is playing Black Panther co-founder (and current Illinois congressman) Bobby Rush in Judas and the Black Messiah. It’s a role that means a lot to the actor, and one he hopes will hit home with its audience too.

Ninamounah Langestraat, the creative director and designer behind the Ninamounah brand talks about melding clashing and contrasting design ideas into new shapes that are extremely masucline, extremely feminine and everything in between. Her goal is to turn fashion into a powerful tool that can be wielded beyond its traditional disciplinary field.