AṢẸ had the privilege of speaking to Brixton based Nigerian-British artist Kandre Hassan. We interviewed her as she created her piece 'Fire on the Mountain' (2024) named after the 2007 song by Nigerian artist AṢA. Below are her thoughts on anthropology, interacting with African art and the importance of celebrating joy!

If you were to introduce yourself in one sentence, how would you do so?

Ooh tough one. I'm Kandre I'm a Neo-surrealist visual artist and I like to draw with figurines.

Who are you separate to an artist?

Outside of my art I am a lover of music, an inquisitive person, I'm driven by being curious of people. I was supposed to do

 fine art at CSM (Central Saint Martins) but decided I wouldn't get any value out of it, studying anthropology has allowed

 me to develop my art finding out what my art means outside of the aesthetic.I used to paint really hyper realistically and

 in a way studying anthropology has made me rebellious in terms of studying optics and visual anthropology, we have

 skewed thinking based of what we see looking at surrealist work, looking below the surface level is often difficult. When

 people think of anthropology they tend to think of a purely scientific practice. I studied visual anthropology so could

 incorporate studying artists with it.

In childhood who were your greatest inspirations?

Groovy chick — groovy chick is not a person but a cartoon brand, the first thing I saw outside of barbie and I loved the

 colour and expression. I think art is often refined in the way it's portrayed. It taught me I don't have to box myself I could

 just be a groovy chick.

I also consumed a lot of tv growing up so That's so Raven, Tracy Beaker, a lot of the organic shapes in my work and how

 my art has a childish essence to it is inspired by this.

You mentioned declining your offer to study at CSM, often times in any industry the traditional way is if you

 get a place to study at the best of the best school In terms of your career choice you do it no question- what

 made you stray from this way of thinking?

I did A Level art (art in your last two years of school/high school) and felt like my teachers were trying to push me in certain

 direction and especially in terms of creating contemporary art they were trying to push me to a primitive way. I thought I

 would be put in a box, representation for black women in art is already boxed and I didn't want that for myself. They

 almost in a sense unknowingly end up making creative industry plants.

What drew you to art and not another form of creative expression?

I tried a lot of things when I was younger I played still pan and piano but was always drawn to art. I feel like other creative

 expressions have an audience but with art you have more personal space. From early childhood I used to use drawing as a

 way to express myself, my family often said I used to draw instead of vocalise an idea/thought.

In what way has your Nigerian heritage shaped your work?

It influences my work in many forms but from a visual front; masquerades, west African figurines… a lot of people think

 they are weird but they take inspiration form traditional Yoruba and Edo sculpture, ritual practices/cultural practices. But

 also from seeing the aunties that surround me i.e., dressed in bright colour, so it has always been engrained. I use art as a

 way of finding my heritage yearning for home as a Diasporan.

Why do you think African art deserves to be respected?

African art has always been accessible. When you go back home it surrounds you whenever you go into a gallery outside it

 feels stagnant and I don't think African art here (United Kingdom) is being interacted with properly. The way a lot of

 African artists produce their work is very communal and that is something lacking when interacting with African art in the

 West. African art is also often reappropriated/colonised so there is a question of whether we want it eve brought

 to/respected in the western context.

Do you remember the first piece you ever created?

A self portrait of myself - I have synesthesia so I would draw portraits with myself with coloured halos and people were

 often confused, I was confused why people were so confused until I realised that everyone didn't have synesthesia.

Do you have a piece of work you feel most attached to?

A portrait of my sister in my old style it is still very hyperrealistic with holes in it now, but my sister is like my kid and part

 of me doesn't want her to grow up. So I still have a strong attachment to it.

If you had the ability to have your art shown in any art gallery where would it be?

Niké Art Gallery. That was probably the first gallery that I saw when we went back home and I just fell in love with it. I love

 her as an artist and I think its important to…- again it's just a way of connecting me back to my heritage and my roots.

 I could have said big global galleries but I don't really think I'm interested in that to be honest, somewhere back home I

 would say.

How do you think art can be used to change the word?

I think art is a non verbal language- I think as an artist especially now as the world is practically on fire art is a mode of

 expressing things that are going on in the world. Art allows people to digest it more or bring attention to it immediately,

 that is dependent on style etc. But I think it's a catalyst to continue conversation and understanding each other.

Do you think authenticity in art is important?

Yes? — I feel like authenticity has kind of become a buzzword but what does that actually mean to you. Authenticity is very

 very very contextual and subjective but to me, of course, not even just what you're creating but the process in which you're

 doing your art making and stuff should be as authentic as possible- so I would say yes.

What was a time where you felt most proud of your work?

At my last exhibition which is where I showcased the work that was at the shoot. It was the biggest exhibition that I have

 been a part of it was like a group of like 35 artists and it was part of London Gallery Weekend. But not just because of that

 but because it was the first time I felt comfortable enough to say yes I am an artist. Before that I was doing it because I

 kind of had to as I was getting into the rhythm of showing my work- but there I finally accepted that this was something

 that was my purpose- its bigger than me.

It's humbling to know that what you create in the moment can just have a life of its own and grow based on how people

 perceive it.

That's where I had the eureka moment.

What do you think is missing from conversations surrounding African art?

Joy….. I feel like— I was thinking about a lot of things in my head but I'm going to stick with joy. A lot of the time when we

 think of African art there is always some really grim/gory story behind it. I just don't understand why we can't celebrate

 work that is made out of pure joy. A lot of the time African art is made out of joy because we are trying to escape all of the

 rubbish that is going on back home— all the economic rubbish political strife etc. Art is a lot of people's safe havens and I

 think it's very upsetting that the art that does well is always dwelling on our short comings- which is not fair. Of course it's

 important to speak about things that are going on but I think we need to talk about African joy a lot more.

I think it's always easier when you're having discussions in general to look at the negatives especially in the

 context of Africa because there IS a very grim history, and there's a dark history when it comes to African

 art especially in regards to colonialism etc. But I agree it's important to also look at the joys in creating and

 the joys in the moment when pieces were created.

Exactly that. 

Creative Direction: Taizya Adedeji 

Studio/Creative Assistant: Chinua Onyia 

Photographer: Songju Kang

Styling/Design: Divya Nakrani/Taizya Adedeji 

Makeup Artist: Temilayo Macaulay