HERE & HOME

Group exhibition with Felicia Byron, Sydellia Ndiaye and Shai Buddah, curated by Djenabé Edouard

Here & Home presents the work of photographer Felicia Byron, spoken word artist Sydellia Ndiaye and choreographer Shai Buddah in an exhibition that brings visibility to the Afro Caribbean community and celebrates stories of migration, labour and legacy. The exhibition is in dialogue with members of the Afro Caribbean labour community and seeks to address the socioeconomic systems that support migratory labour but not migrant workers; continuing to define the Caribbean, primarily, as a source of cheap labour. 

Djenabé Edouard is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and curator keen on creating space for imagination, preserving oral histories, and sparking conversations that examine contemporary perspectives of the Afro-Caribbean experience. Her curatorial work is focused on the female gaze, identity, and Afro- Caribbean heritage. She is the Founder/Art Director of Aquarius Mood; a Curation House cultivating community at the intersection of fashion, art & astrology.

Felicia Byron is a Caribbean-Canadian internationally published editorial, portrait and commercial photographer and artist based in Toronto. Passionately viewing the world through her lens, Felicia specializes in environmental portraiture, vividly colourful beauty and conceptual editorials.Her connection to her Caribbean roots and a love of storytelling inform much of her personal work, like that of her portrait series “Out of Many” celebrating Jamaica, its culture and the strength, joy, beauty and resilience of its people. Dedicated to her craft, Felicia is committed to continually elevating her photographic process through immersive exploration, collaboration, and a keen curiosity.

Shai Buddah is a dance artist, choreographer and video editor from Toronto. She trained at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre and has danced in multiple Nuit Blanche pieces and has performed and choreographed for music videos, short films and live performances. Her choreography showcases a fluid yet explosive movement quality that translates themes of inner dialogue and advocacy.

Sydellia Ndiaye is an internationally recognized spoken word artist who received her start in what is considered to be home to some of the world’s best slam poets, Chicago. The Senegalese-American artist has been blessed to touch souls all over the world by performing her spoken word pieces/songs in North America, Europe and Africa. Sydellia has also competed in several competitions throughout her career. She was the winner of the April 2020 Toronto Poetry Slam put on by one of the largest poetry organizations in Toronto. She is currently the champion of the Toronto Poetry Slam 2022 and 2nd place winner of the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam, a national poetry competition held in Vancouver.

The Riverdale Hub in the east end of Toronto houses galleries, unique event and work spaces, green initiatives and work-based training programs. The innovative space has been developed to inspire social entrepreneurship, drive innovation and build community capacity.

Established in 1997, CONTACT is a not-for-profit organization celebrating the art and profession of photography. Committed to cultivating an inclusive and accessible approach to the medium, CONTACT builds community by providing a platform for dynamic collaborations and productive engagement between Canadian and international photographers, curators, partner organizations, and audiences, locally and globally.