Episode Summary:The current episode is co-hosted with our former guest speaker Simon Butler, a curator, artist and founder of MigrateArt, a platform that helps those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. Together we meet Ken Nwadiogby, a Nigerian artist whose artistic research is focused on gender equality, African culture, and Black power. Ken was named by Guardian Life as one of the most “Outstanding Personalities of 2019” in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian arts community.In this candid conversation we discuss how Ken is utilising his practice as a tool for social change, raising awareness of such themes as racism, police brutality, sexism, xenophobia and more. Ken shares his thoughts on cultural revolution, how to respond back to society when it speaks to us, what it means to be a Nigerian artist in today’s climate and how Contemporealism, a new method of visual communication coined by the artist himself, was born. The Speaker: Ken Nwadiogbu (b. 1994, Lagos, Nigeria) is a visual artist who creates innovative conceptual drawings on various surfaces as he engages in multidisciplinary modes of storytelling. Nwadiogbu earned a B.Sc. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His interest in art, as well as his career began while he earned his degree despite no formal training. Inspired by issues relating to him and those around, he began creating works that reflect the everyday struggles of people, with the hopes of making a change in his community. Popularly known as KenArt, Nwadiogbu is credited for introducing the “Contemporealism” movement and is constantly revitalising his practice by challenging modes of Black representation. A core focus for Nwadiogbu is to inspire and encourage young creatives. He does this through public speaking and mentorship, as well as through his creative companies; Artland Contemporary Limited and KINGS Management. He nurtures an art collective called ‘Title Deed’ and co-found Artists Connect NG, the largest artist gathering in Nigeria, created to foster creativity, collaboration and community. Follow Ken's journey on InstagramThe Co-Host: Simon Butler is a curator, social entrepreneur and artist based in London. He founded Migrate Art in 2016 after visiting the Calais Jungle refugee camp in France for the first time. This poignant experience inspired him to use his years of experience in the art world to help those impacted by the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. To date, Migrate Art has raised over £550,000, helped thousands of people across Europe and the Middle East and worked with some of the world's leading artists including Anish Kapoor, Mona Hatoum, Antony Gormley, Rachel Whiteread and Raqib Shaw. Host: Farah Piriye, ZEITGEIST19 FoundationSign up for ZEITGEIST19's newsletter at https://www.zeitgeist19.comFor sponsorship enquiries, comments, ideas and collaborations, email us at [email protected] Follow us on Instagram and TwitterHelp us to continue our mission and to develop our podcast: Donate