Voices of the Diaspora: The Artisans Behind the Canvas

Zizipho Poswa (1979- ) is a South African ceramicist. Poswa's work is a celebration of her Xhosa heritage. She works to highlight the strength of women and their cultural traditions. 

Zohra Opoku (1976- ) is a German-Ghanaian multidisciplinary artist. She examines how personal identity is formed through historical, cultural, and socio-economic means, particularly in the Ghanaian context. With a deep appreciation of textiles, she takes photographs that she later screenprints onto the fabric. She often includes family heirlooms and images of herself into her work.  Opoku received an MA in Fashion from Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. 

Zéh Palito (1991- ) is a Brazilian painter whose practice seeks to encourage mutual respect between humans and the natural world. He draws inspiration from Brazilian and African cultures. The subjects of his paintings coexist in fantastical landscapes with plants and animals in harmony. The bright and vibrant palette communicates joy and self-assurance. Despite the cheerful work, his work also speaks to darker political realities and their related trauma.  Palito received his degree in Graphic Design from the Faculty of Administration and Arts of Limeira (FAAL) and his certificate in Fine Art from the Municipal School of Culture and Arts (EMCEA), both in Brazil. 

cameron clayborn (1992- ) is an American conceptual sculptor, designer, performance artist, and community organizer. clayborn explores the relationship between distance and proximity, solidity and fragility, physicality and abstraction in their work.  clayborn received their BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2016. They received their MFA from the Yale University School of Art in 2021. 

ruby onyinyechi amanze (1982- ) is a Nigerian British-American artist noted for drawings and works on paper which focus on cultural hybridity or "post-colonial non-nationalism." In addition to being an artist, she has also worked as a teacher and curator. ruby onyinyechi amanze uses her work on paper to play with the spatial dimensions and tangibility of the human form, with animate and inanimate objects.  amanze received her BFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, and her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art. From 2012-2013, amanze was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.