Tolu Coker & Ade Coker

Tolu Coker
Born London, United Kingdom (1994), lives and works in London, United Kingdom

Ade Coker
Born London, United Kingdom (1997), lives and works in London, United Kingdom

Masqueraded Memoirs 2019
Film, photography, mixed-media textile tapestry from upcycled materials
Courtesy of the artists

This installation was made possible by the generous support of the Westway Trust, Kodak Film Lab London, Cinelab London and Sijimoto Construction.

Here siblings Ade and Tolu Coker explore the untold stories of friends, family and neighbours through strategies of fiction and reenactment. This multi-part project consists of photographs, film and a tapestry work that restages or references imagery from family albums and community archives, particularly London’s North Kensington Estates. The project focuses broadly on the identities of the Nigerian diaspora in Britain, and the life of the artists’ late father, Kayode Coker, a social activist, photojournalist, and member of the British Black Panther party.

Drawing parallels between Yoruba culture, the art of masquerade, and preservation of tradition in changing tides, this installation aims to challenge conventional discourse on Black-Britishness by questioning what it means to be ‘“Nigerian” in Britain today. By presenting new narratives from the mouths of local residents that intimately depict their Black-British identities and communities over the years, this project emphasises the significance of the social commentaries and stories that shape our past, present and future narratives.