We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kwadwo Adae a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kwadwo, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
It is true that strength comes numbers, however, when you’re the only one in the room that looks like you, that does not negate any of the strength that you hold within you. There will always be people that agree, or disagree with you regardless of what you look like. When you keep putting good intentions into the world, someone out there will see your vision. In my experience it has always been worth the time to figure out who those people are in your world. Listen, support and respect them. Let them inspire you and let them be inspired by you.
All those organizations out there still lacking diversity, that is like hiring a school of fish to tell you about the sky.
Any bird will give you a better answer than ten of the wisest fish in the sea.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Adae is strongly committed to contributing to the discourse of public art by focusing on creating murals in predominantly Black & Brown underserved communities subjected to federal discriminatory redlining practices. Creating art for populations that are perpetually ignored by mainstream arts museum and gallery organizations that exclusively create and curate content for an affluent white public, while reinforcing the belief that consumption of art is for everyone, and not just for those who are privileged enough to afford it. Adae’s domestic public art practice speaks directly to themes of social justice, racial equality, anti-police brutality, women’s rights, anti-gun violence, homelessness, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental awareness. Adae is a staunch advocates for the planting of street trees in front of his mural projects as a way to create public art that actively fights climate change.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Having a healthy level of stubborn has helped me immensely, especially when you are committed to carving and following your own path. That road less traveled you dream of taking will inevitably require you to do some tiring machete work and heavy lifting, but it does pay off when you are persistent with yourself, confident in your expertise, and kind.
I would also recommend to not be afraid of failure. It will come for you, it comes for us all, and when it does you must not allow it to break you. It is as temporary as the fleeting moments of beautiful time. People are unreasonably terrified of temporary failures, in every failure is a golden opportunity to learn something valuable.
Life is not all about working 40 hours, and ever increasing profit margins. We need you to be dreaming and sleeping well. We need you living more harmoniously with the natural world. Forgive someone. Apologize. Perhaps becoming a better community starts with you appreciating the little things in life.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I have an older sister named Nana, and she’s pretty incredible. She is the eldest daughter of my Ghanaian immigrant parents, and in most diasporic families the eldest daughter cannot be stopped in any way, and my powerhouse sister is no exception. She flew fighter jets and studied cryptology during her service at the US Navy, went to Columbia Business School and has worked in finance for decades, and is this deeply inspiring person with an amazing analytical mind, and huge heart. Fearlessly crushing it as a Black woman in white male dominated fields. As an artist, all I want to do is splash colors on canvases and buildings all day, but being fluent in the language and motions of doing business is as crucial as the artwork. Her knowledge, expertise, and rock solid advice have been of vital importance in maintaining and sustaining a business acumen that has allowed me to run my art studio relatively singlehanded for the last 18 years, devoid of any connections to the art world, museums, or galleries. I am constantly learning from her.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kwadwoadae.com/section/269337.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kwadwo.adae/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey1RJ6lQtDQ&t=269s
Image Credits
Black and White Portrait photo by Anthony DeCarlo
