We want to celebrate and find out more about the characters driving the renaissance of the London gallery scene, and what better way than to resurrect THAT’s Interesting.
Last time we had Louis Chapple from Studio/Chapple this time we have former artist now curator and gallerist Ema O’Donovan.
I’m a curator and gallerist in Deptford, where I both live and run my gallery Xxijra Hii. Off the bat I’ll answer the biggest question we get asked… how to pronounce the gallery name! I pronounce it ‘shy-rah-hi’ but I don’t mind at all how you choose to say it. It’s rooted in my Maltese / British heritage and is a play on language, colonisation and an acute Maltese humour. At Xxijra Hii we celebrate artists who are on the edges of conventional practice. Check out Yuli Serfaty’s ‘Horny, Aimless & Alone’ to see what I mean (on until April 20th).
Some Art I’m interested in
I’m a big proponent of the art scene in South London where we are based, not only for our proximity to many arts institutions but also the vast mix of cultures, art studios and DIY mentality that thrives here. This creates a fabric of experimental and exhilarating work, exhibited by equally bold curators and galleries. I think South London in particular highlights a sense of progressive creativity that seems to hold it’s own in the wider London scene.
My recommendations for art down here would be to start with my neighbours Studio/Chapple and Lake, both very cool sonic / installation-based programmes, Collective Ending HQ are around the corner and run a co-op of studios and collaborative project space. Sid Motion’s beautiful space in the Penarth Centre is a must-see, alongside Folium Publishing for excellent art books and workshops, and Calcio Project Space all in the same spot. Grab a ‘boozy slushy’ from convenience store Cheers to walk there with. Head a bit further west to see SOUP on East Street for some beautifully thoughtful exhibitions via Biblioteka for books, zines, music, performances and readings in Peckham. For bigger spaces then Cabinet is an absolute must in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens – for me, one of the most compelling programmes in the whole of London and with some beautiful publications to boot.
Design
I actually also work in design and this helps me to support my gallery financially while it’s starting out. I bought and fully renovated my small flat in Deptford and would say I’m firmly obsessed with 1960s Italian furniture, 1980s German appliances, Japanese textures, surfaces and my beloved TEAC hi-fi stack – made in beautiful brushed aluminium, brass inlays with a walnut turntable.
Tadao Ando is a huge influence, as well as Takashi Sugimoto of Super Potato, Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce and of course, Dieter Rams. I was very lucky to spend a fair bit of time in Japan in 2017 and visit the remarkable islands of Naoshima + Teshima to see Ando at its very best. If you can go, make sure to meditate at the Lee Ufan museum and bask in the eerily beautiful light of Ando’s Teshima museum cafe. In terms of ‘belief’ then I really love Massimo + Lella Vignelli for their designs but worship their vision of how life is best enjoyed with good design. Their ‘Design Is One’ film is a must-watch.
Some Culture I’m interested in
Culturally I’d say my life is full of diverse experiences due to work and living where I do, but my heritage is the one I feel the most connected to. Being from Maltese / Algerian / Irish lineage we’re a fairly transient bunch! Because of this, I’m obsessed with language and how that travels, even throughout simple daily pleasures like eating a meal – connecting the dots as to where an ingredient came from and the language it carries is something I see real importance and significance in. Don’t try spelling anything in Maltese though, it’s a total nightmare!
Some Style / Fashion I’m interested in
I aim for effortless, comfortable and usually menswear with a lot of accessories. I look to Sofia Prantera of Aries / Silas and Martine Rose for inspiration. I like the message they get across with their designs, from club culture to making a statement, wearing a ‘tribal’ identity through simple printed tees. For me that shows a culture of support and network and is something I try to live by with the gallery too. I also like comfort! Some Needles track pants from Nepenthes and a few tees from Palace, with a bit of Acne Studios thrown in. Lately, I’m really loving Always Do What You Should Do and Loutre. I bought some early pieces in the pandemic from both brands on Instagram and love their message and creative processes (both now at DSM). I like combining fashion and youth culture but keeping it minimal in colour so it feels refined. I live in big sweaters and a good cap (of which, I have many!) which I’ll pair with vintage jewellery, studded clogs and a decent pair of sunglasses. My current rotation is a big pair of classic black Celine CL4004IN or Versace’s 424 model aka ‘The Biggie’.
Some Tech I’m interested in
In my design life, I have consulted for and worked on some really amazing tech projects. My absolute favourite was building COVE, a music production tool for bereaved or depressed adolescents. I met the team while each of us were overseas and they are now friends for life. Ivor is currently on a new venture called Mortals, helping people to enrich their lives and understand mortality, while Davide is part of the excellent Crossfade Studio in Milan, a sound design agency; finally Alex has just launched Palette, an art therapy and wellbeing app.
Some Music I’m interested in
I listen to literally everything so without writing too much of an essay I’ll simply shout out my favourite DIY Label Rat Run Records – run by my good friends Rob, Zin and Mark. They’re fully DIY both in investment and as a lifestyle! Check out some really amazing people producing synth-wave, two-piece punk metal, noize, folk, avant-garde ambient drone, country, hardcore and garage rock. Also give Ayanama a listen, a friend of mine based here in Deptford. Beautiful 80s-Japan style ambient guitar and some of the nicest filters you’ve ever laid ears on. Both RRR and Ayanama put on some excellent nights at our local (and favourite bar) Villages Taproom – beer brewed on-site and the most wallet-friendly pints in London!
A museum and gallery show recommendation –
My institutional recommendation is Zineb Sedira: Dreams Have No Titles at Whitechapel until May 12th. Much like my interests in designer architecture ad fashion, Sedira pulls on influences of social activism in France, Algeria and Italy in the 1960s and 1970s and her own French Algerian heritage. There are daily screenings other than accompany the exhibition and a full-scale cinema in the upper galleries, to screen Sedira’s titular film, in which the audience will see many of the sets that they’ve encountered in the exhibition as a backdrop for Sedira’s own shoot.
One for overseas but I am really looking forward to Haroun Hayward’s solo exhibition at Hales New York opening May 1st. Haroun’s work speaks to everything I’m about, smashing culture together from a love of music, symbolism, and his mother’s textiles. There’s a holistic approach to tying this all together and it forms this amazing hybrid-language in the work which is absolutely beautiful. Anyone visiting Frieze, NADA or Independent in NYC this year should check it out.
In London, I am going to shamelessly plug David Micheaud’s solo painting exhibition titled ‘Unhomely’ at Xxijra Hii in May. We’re opening a week ahead of London Gallery Weekend and it’s a beautiful presentation of eerie interiors and finding beauty in negative space, shadow or the inbetween of daily life. As with all things Xxijra Hii, there will be an intervention with the work and a sense of the uncanny.
Finally, I’m going to nominate Alex Harrison at Public Gallery. Alex has been a really big help with us starting out and runs an excellent programme over the river in East London. Recent highlights include shows with Tiffany Wellington, Evian Wenyi Zhang and Vica Pacheco with Peana as part of Condo.
