Creative Catalyst Spotlight: Abby Adjekum & Samantha Dennis

Join us for a conversation with visual artists and Creative Catalyst participants, Abby Adjekum and Samantha Dennis, who both work primarily through oil painting and portraiture. Sharing their experiences with artistic mentorship as emerging artists, mental health, productivity and more, Abby and Samantha will also shed light on the next steps in the artistic practices. The future is bright for these talented young women!

ABBY ADJEKUM

Abby Adjekum (based in Hamilton, ON) makes vibrant introspective paintings that explore themes of Black femininity, intimacy and coexistence in white spaces. She creates portraits that address how emotional vulnerability and tolerance are informed by the ways Black women navigate cultural identity. 

SAMANTHA DENNIS

Samantha Dennis is a Toronto-based visual artist of Jamaican descent. Using her borderline abstract-portrait style, she creates vivid portraits showcasing Black women. 

Not seeing enough representation, Samantha explores an interesting but, amazing space of being a black woman whilst viewing and painting other black womxn. Through the subtle poses and intense gazes, her works interact and challenge the viewer’s gaze without being possessed. Samantha credits the inspiration of her works to the resilience, beauty, versatility and finesse of Black women. 

Samantha received her BFA in Drawing and Painting from OCADU (Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto) in 2014. In late 2018, she started pursuing an independent art practice and is currently working towards her first solo show

ABOUT THE CREATIVE CATALYST SPOTLIGHT SERIES

The Creative Catalyst spotlight series is a series of conversations with emerging Black artists with the Left of Centre: Creative Catalyst stream. Each conversation shines a spotlight on the artist, exploring their individual artistic journeys, influences, and practices.

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