Tolulope Ami-Williams
Bodies + Borders Performance
June 16, 2023
Bodies and Borders forms the second series to the body of work, ‘Knit My Broken Bones Together I’ and explores the interpersonal relationships between people of diverse cultures, beliefs and practices, fostered as a result of movement across borders into new spaces. It asks ‘How can we exchange and interact without imposing? What does the friction of encounter offer in shaping identity and community?’
Through a group performance and sound installation, the impact of encounter is explored against a backdrop of charcoal. Charcoal forms an integral part of Ami-Williams’ practice where it is used as a metaphor for blackness, and also serves as a rejoinder against charcoal production due to its contribution to climate change.
Tolulope Ami-Williams is a Lagos-based multidisciplinary artist. With a vision to create globally relatable and impactful work, her practice centres on narratives that drive social change. Ami-Williams leverages art as a catalyst for transformation, using her body to stage symbolic statements on identity, empowerment, and self-affirmation. Her thought-provoking art challenges social stereotypes, initiating discussions that dismantle society's invisible frontiers. She has shown work at Alliance Française, Rele Art Foundation's Young Contemporaries Residency, G.A.S Foundation and Untitled. She was a finalist for the Access Art X Prize 2022.