Artist Khadija Saye Among Grenfell Tower Victims.

Khadija Saye

Twenty-four year old Khadija Saye has been confirmed as one of the victims of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire which took place in London last week.

Saye lived in an apartment with her mother, who also perished. Saye was a gifted artist on the rise; the space she shared with her mother also served as her studio. Her latest work, Dwelling: in this space we breathe, is currently on view in the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale. The series of images featured tintype self-portraits of Saye, meant to “explore the migration of traditional Gambian spiritual practices and the deep rooted urge to find solace within a higher power.” Dwelling: in this space we breathe will be on display in Venice until November 2017.

In an essay for The Guardian, fellow artist and close friend of Saye, Sanaz Movahedi, reflected on Saye’s short life, her talent, and their shared experiences.

We both grew up in very small flats with strong mothers, and we’d joke about how as children we were quite shy about inviting friends over, not only because of the size of our homes but because they were filled with foreign objects that our friends would ogle at. However, our mothers also brought us up to be proud of where we are from, and embrace the differences we contain.

Repost from @metroimaging – Hello, it's Khadija @saye_photo here on day 5 of the #metroimaging #Takeover! • • • Today I'll be sharing research images created whilst making my latest series, 'Dwelling: In this space we breathe'. The work focuses on spirituality that transcends specific religions. I started by documenting my own domestic space and creating self portraits where there are traces of both #Christian and #Islamic worship as well as #Gambian rituals passed down from our ancestors. • • Taking inspiration from the development of #portraiture in the 15th century, I wanted to investigate how a portrait could function as a way of announcing one’s piety, virtue, soul, and prosperity. • • • I'm currently showing a new series of #tintypes exploring Gambian spirituality at the #DiasporaPavilion in Venice with @icf__ This week I'll be sharing the works that led me to my latest project. • • • • #metroimaging #photography #tintype #interiors #london #visualart #gambia #interiors #blackart #england #home #woman #africanart #blackhistory #magazine #filmisnotdead #mediumformat #diaspora #family #film

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