Conversation with Magda Kaggwa
Communications and Projects Manager at Yinka Shonibare Foundation
What drew you to pursue a career in the art world?
I was drawn to a career in the art world quite early on. I initially trained as an artist; I studied printmaking and once I graduated, I worked in a print studio. I was working on my own practice whilst also helping to develop work for other artists. I think at that point I realised that I got as much joy and pleasure from working with other artists as I did on my own practice. I was also finding it quite difficult to manage my own practice. Therefore, I decided to move into that side of the art world and I’ve been doing that ever since. Despite the different roles that I've had, the common thread has always been working with artists. Now it's more emerging artists from underrepresented backgrounds which is really where my interests lie.
So what kind of thing you'd like to see more of in the art world?
I would definitely like to see more diversity in the art world. Art is supposed to represent life, therefore I think it'd be great to see more of that reflected both in the types of artists that are platformed, but also across the people working in the industry.
What has been the most important lesson learned in your career journey?
I think one of the most important lessons that I've learned on my career journey has been about nurturing and developing relationships. The art world is quite small, and you never know when you might need that contact, or you might run into someone and projects cross. Therefore, it's really important to have a good working relationship with people so that you can draw on that those contacts and collaborate in the future.
Have there been any books or films you've discovered recently that you would like to share?
The book that I've not necessarily discovered recently, but something that's been on my reading list for a while that I have finally picked up is The Body Keeps the Score. I think because of the particular time that we're in at the moment, where a lot of people are going through stress and difficulties, it’s felt quite relevant. It’s a book about how psychological trauma can manifest itself physically in the body. By recognising what those things are, it leads us to find alternative methods for treating physical ailments.
What are you excited about right now?
The thing that I'm really excited about now is the big international launch for the Yinka Shonibare Foundation taking place in October and early November. It has been arranged to coincide with ArtxLagos, which is Africa's biggest art fair and happens in Lagos every November. We’ve got a whole programme of events and we will be bringing lots of interesting people over to Lagos to experience our residency spaces for the first time and to meet some of our new artists as well.
