Spoken Word

Caleb

Caleb Macauley is a multidisciplinary artist born in Sierra Leone, whose journey has taken him across continents and cultures. Growing up in The Gambia and the United Kingdom, Caleb’s experiences have deeply influenced his artistic expression, infusing his work with a rich blend of African and Western influences. Now based in the Netherlands, where he has been granted refugee status, Caleb continues to evolve as an artist, using his creative talents as powerful channels for healing and connection.

Caleb’s art is an exploration of life’s complexities, expressed through a unique fusion of spoken word, music, and dance. His words are crafted to resonate with the human spirit, offering solace and reflection on personal and collective experiences. Through song, he channels the chants of his heritage, echoing the rhythms and voices of his roots. Dance becomes his means of navigating the world, a physical manifestation of his journey through life’s challenges and triumphs.

As an artist, Caleb Macauley is dedicated to using his creativity not only as a form of personal expression but also as a means of fostering understanding, resilience, and unity among diverse communities. His work is a testament to the power of art to heal, inspire, and transform.

Spence

Spence (24) is currently doing his Master in Artificial Intelligence. Growing up with a white Dutch dad and Nigerian black mom has always been an interesting experience. As a mixed person, you belong to both racial groups. You get to enjoy the beauty of two different cultures. But often, you also feel like you belong to none. People will try to place you in inescapable boxes. But why should my skin colour dictate how you have to be and act as a person?

His experiences have made him into who he is today and when he gets inspired, he likes to get creative. For this event, one specific poem that he wrote came to mind. It's a spoken word poem, and he can't wait to perform it! If you want to hear what I have to say, feel free to attend!

Photography

Bete

Bete van Meeuwen - The Amsterdam-based photographer aims to combine their keen eye for socio-political issues and strong imagery to create a distinct sense of visual activism. Through their lens, Van Meeuwen constantly bridges the gap between representation and topics such as gender, sexuality, and Black joy.

Melissa

Melissa Lewis is a photographer and graphic designer with a main focus on details, skin and capturing the beauty in everyday moments. Her latest work is a photo series that combines print and digital media to explore new textures and tones. Inspired by 90s blue tones and close-up shots, this series showcases her ability to blend different mediums for a fresh visual experience.

Fashion

Mare

Mare (20) is a multi-disciplinary artist. She tries to place herself inside the context of the world, so that she can decide to place herself outside of it. She thinks it’s important to know where she came from and what has shaped her as a person in order to know what she wants to call home. She made a performance to directly dive into the feeling of a black relation with water and an interpretation of lost souls during colonial transportation overseas.

Painting

Sihaam

Sihaam Hussein (23) is a self-taught artist. Her journey to where she is at is a blend of two passions that have shaped her who she is today: the precision of lab work and the boundless creativity of art. After completing her training and earning her diploma as a clinical chemical analyst, she found herself torn between these two worlds. She loved the meticulous nature of the lab, but her heart kept pulling her toward art.

So, she made the decision to follow her heart, and now she is fully dedicating herself to her artistic dream by pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Art. Join her as her analytical vision meets art and culture in this exciting journey.

Don Ruelas

The Angolan-Dutch artist was born in Luanda. He was a founding member of several artistic groups, including the Nacionalistas from 1995 to 1999, Oficina Kapela from 2015 to 2016, Koop Arte from 2020, and Two in One from 2021, among many other artistic groups. He attended the Academy of Media Art and Technology, and several courses related to visual arts in the Netherlands between 2000 and 2021. Award: World Press Photo / Besa - Banco Espírito Santo - Angola 2009 Specialist in Digital Video Designer, VJ, DJ, Photography, and Events. Participation in several collective exhibitions nationally and internationally.

Drawing

Imani

Imani (24), also going by Six, is currently studying Fine Arts. She comes from Curaçao, a small island in the Caribbean, where it often felt that being true to herself was a difficult thing to achieve. Because of this, art became her medium of self-expression when doing such a thing felt impossible in the world, as this allowed her to break free from a mould that was crafted by the normative standards we live in. She creates a narrative—shaped from things around her or from her own memories, and from there, she creates her visual of bright colors, messy lines, and dogs.

Her art, in this case, represents simply her; From her heritage, her memories and her own emotions in regards to her own existence as the self one sees before them. Not everyone will truly understand, but that's okay in the end. She is simply here to show people just a small aspect of her as she uncovers them.

Emma

Emma Oikawa Rao's ultimate goal is to see through the eyes of the soul. She believes that everyone and everything has a soul and her work is a product of her journey in capturing this thing she sees that has been given many names. Soul, ziel, tamashi, alma, jiwa... A thing that connects us all.

Sammie

Sammie (20) is a black and queer artist. She has been teaching herself art and been studying it for over 6 years. When she started making art, it was all about connecting with herself and others. Growing up, she felt isolated because she felt different due to being neurodivergent. Social media became her go-to place to share her art and meet others who were unique like her. She creates to help others and herself feel seen and heard. Representation means a lot to her, and she enjoys experimenting with new things. She truly believes there are no limits to creativity, so she loves bringing whatever pops into her head to life!