Ayan Muse (b. 1994) is a Somali artist living and working in Toronto. In 2022, she was one of the participants in the Pink Flame, an all-women group show curated by Tewasart Gallery at Village Market, Nairobi. She recently participated in the Nia Art Center’s A Black Art Fair in November 2024. Nia Art Center is a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization that supports, showcases, and promotes an appreciation of arts from across the African Diaspora. Speaking to Tewasart Africa, she shares her art fair experience, the inspiration behind the work she showcased, and her next plans.
TAA: I saw on social media that you participated in the A Black Art Fair. How did that happen?
Ayan: Through Nia Art Centre, they have two locations in Toronto. They specialize in helping any Black artists within our city develop skills through workshops for artists, painters, film directors, and graphic designers. I applied for the art fair and was among the 25 artists selected, so it was a huge achievement for me, as there were so many submissions. Through the fair, I connected with other artists within my community, like painters, and understood their practice. I also connected with the people in person because I am starting to put my artwork out there; I exhibited with you and then I have had a couple of shows with community organizations so I am slowly starting to get used to exhibiting in person and talking to people about my work so the fair was a great opportunity for that, and now I’m itching to do more in person.
TAA: How was it for you to be on such a platform? I know you mentioned connecting with the community, but I’m asking this regarding the body of work you showed and the reception it got. How was that?
Ayan: It was interesting because it is very different online. When people comment on your work, it’s not that in-depth. In person, I got this more detailed feedback. People thought it was very calming and dreamlike, and talked about how it impacted them, and you could see their reaction in front of you. I love seeing how my work affects people and how they interpret it, and I realized I like connecting with people in person because their energy is different as opposed to online; the conversations are natural, and they flow. When you get to talk to another artist or painter, you get the sense of what excites them just from their facial expressions when they are talking about their work or practice, so I liked that aspect. I also made genuine connections with people I feel I will stay connected with throughout my journey, and watch their journeys too.
TAA: Tell me something about the body of work you were showing at the A Black Art Fair. What was the work about?
Ayan: I always enjoy the themes of strength and resilience, and women, especially women in my community. I’m starting to create more work about women in Somalia who are farmers. They gather food and support the community through agricultural practices. There are also women like that in North America. I saw some pictures, and those pictures reminded me of what my mum and the women in my family embody: strong, resilient, and nurturing. In a lot of my works, you see these women in fields, like picking or gathering food to bring to their families. They are nurturing their families in a way, they are nurturing the plants and the earth, and in turn their community by doing that.
The first painting, I Will Bear Fruit, depicts two women in the field, dressed according to Somali Culture, picking tomatoes suggests resilience. I will overcome obstacles and bear fruit. There is something to gain from growing, from having strength and resilience.
The second painting, Under the Cocoa Tree, While Mama Gathers, depicts a woman gathering cocoa beans. It is not specific to Somali women, but I created this image using three references: the woman picking food, the cocoa tree, and the child swinging from a tree. The piece talks about women picking food, how they balance that and motherhood, and how they juggle different aspects of their lives. It is also meant to be playful through the kid swinging from the tree. I want to expand on this painting as I like it very much. The last painting, “Today’s Catch”, is of a woman sitting down and cleaning fish for dinner. In the art fair, most people from different cultures related to this, as we have all at one point seen our mom or a woman in our family clean fish for dinner. I like that you shared your experience in Lamu and how you relate it to this piece.
TAA: How was the feedback from the audience?
Ayan: I got a lot of people who related to it and told me that it is unique; you don’t see this type of work of figurative East African women in their day-to-day lives. There were no critics, and I am hoping that in 2025, I will get to make connections with painters and people who can give me that feedback, as it will help me grow in a way. For example, your saying I need to be consistent in my work was something I needed to hear because it is true, and so I value that kind of feedback and am looking forward to such in 2025.
TAA: So, what is next for you after the fair?
Ayan: I am looking to continue building those connections that I made during the fair and applying for more art fairs and local galleries. Also, if you are open to working together in the future, I would love to continue with our relationship. I am also opening an online shop to make my work more accessible to people worldwide and within North America. Those are my two main goals. My third goal is to be more involved with the art community locally and build those relationships. Also, it is my ultimate dream to be a full-time artist. I’m currently working in project management. The cost of living in Toronto has gone up badly, especially after the pandemic, and so I split my time between creating and working 9-5. In the future, I aim to create an online store business to share my work, create more art, and also be part of more shows. I would love to work with Tewasart Gallery again.
Edited By
Nyambura Mbirua
