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Kadessi Alassani

@bykadessi

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London 🇹🇬
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Nana Dreams, 2026 Kadessi Alassani & Ana Veronica Thank you to everyone who came to see Nana Dreams at @tate Britain. We loved speaking with those who spent time with the work, especially hearing the memories and personal connections it brought up. That exchange is a big part of why we create - finding our own ways to reconnect with the histories and cultures we inherit across the diaspora. Nana Dreams reflects on the history of wax cloth in Togo, through the legacy of the Nana Benz and generations of women whose livelihoods were shaped by its trade, design and making. Every piece of wax cloth in the photograph comes from the wardrobe of Kadessi’s mum, Mariam. She is the route through which he first came to know and appreciate these textiles, connecting a wider Togolese history to something intimate, lived and passed between generations. The work was commissioned as part of Return Without Arrival, curated by Miro Radu (@_mrcko) through Green Table, alongside Natasha Radu (@tash.ra) & Sophie Javadi (@sophiejavadi) exploring post-colonial memory, migration and identity through textiles, objects, archives and family stories. The installation was created in response to Zineb Sedira’s When Words Fall Silent, Cinema Speaks for Late at Tate Britain. Thank you also to Dr. Marius Kothor (@afromimz) for taking the time to meet with us and helping us contextualise the project through her ongoing research into the Nana Benz. And to @sophieecz , @michaelrwin and the wider @tatecollective team, thank you for trusting our vision and giving us the opportunity to realise it at Tate Britain. 🤎 taken in Tate Britain by @bykadessi
29
2 months ago
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We are delighted to present Nana Dreams at Late at @tate Britain, as part of Return Without Arrival and in response to Zineb Sedira’s latest commission. Inspired by the legacy of the Nana Benz, Nana Dreams explores how wax cloth became a source of economic independence for women before and after Togo’s independence - and how dreams of a better future continue through family memory, material culture and the diaspora. Every piece of cloth featured comes from the wardrobe of my mother, grounding the installation in personal history and lived experience. Friday 14th August 2026 18.00–21.30 Duffield Room, Tate Britain Presented in collaboration with @greentble taken in Tate Britain by @bykadessi
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2 months ago
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Green Table presents: RETURN WITHOUT ARRIVAL, Part 2 of our Green Table takeover at Tate Britain. 6pm-10pm 14th August 2026 Tate Britain, Clore wing - Duffield space Responding to Zineb Sedira's commission, Return Without Arrival brings together 4 London-based artists responding to the complex tapestries of post-colonial memory, migration, and identity. Moving between the screen, domestic staging, photographic archives, and the tactile language of woven textiles, these artists shift focus away from the distant, outsider gaze. Instead, they activate personal family lineages and grassroots histories into living archives. Together, they demonstrate that while global boundaries can physically fracture family lines across generations, identity and resistance are continuously reclaimed, preserved, and carried forward through the spaces and objects we build. See you soon 💚 taken in Tate Britain by @bykadessi
36
3 months ago
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“Jump Into” Creative Direction & Photography: me Hair: Ana Veronica Model: Andy Kapaga #creativedirection #visualstorytelling #cornrows taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
24
3 years ago
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Was I disillusioned by my search for beauty? I tend to find beauty wherever I stop to look. I find that if you take the time to briefly reflect on your surroundings… beauty isn’t so hard to find, but this rings especially true in the golden coast of Ghana. I found beauty in the hustle of the streets. I found beauty in the morning Adhan calling out to the neighbourhood for its time to prayer. I found beauty in the night when the loud cheers and drums reunited once more as the church gathered in communion. I found beauty in the determination of the street hawker as she carries her body weight of sweet bread on her head in hopes of a beckoning hand to reduce her burden. I found beauty in my rich melanated skin because I was no longer seen as a just fraction of my humanity, but as 1 with those around me. But the more I reflected on the beauty I saw, the more guilt I felt for letting it blind me. I feel that as a photographer, my duty is to show society that there is beauty in all things, but more importantly I also have a responsibility to bring light to the reality of my images. Therefore, if you had to the time to admire the beauty of my subjects, I encourage you to also take the time to reflect on the potential reality of their situation 🙏🏿 #africanart #ghana #travelphotography taken in Accra, Ghana by @bykadessi
5
3 years ago
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@isseymiyakeofficial draping inspired by the Indian Saree Creative direction & Styling: @iamanaveronica Model: @summnes Photography: @bykadessi Fashion: @iamanaveronica ‘s Wardrobe #photography #isseymiyake #pleatsplease #indiansaree taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
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3 years ago
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"ATLAS - The Bearer of Needs" My drive in life has always been fueled by a sense of duty—to be present for those around me, whether emotionally, physically, or financially. This instinct, inherited from my parents, was more than a virtue; it was a way of life. I watched them extend their hand to anyone in need, often at great personal cost. Their sacrifice was never questioned, their generosity never withheld. “Charity begins at home” echoed through our walls, not as a mere proverb but as a guiding principle. The fruits I bear are not solely for my own sustenance but for the village that nurtured me. I grew up revering this ethos, taking pride in the boundless generosity shown by parents. Yet, I never paused to consider the quiet toll it took on them—the weight of being a pillar, the cost of being a giver. Now, as I find myself stepping into this inherited role, I stand at a crossroads. The responsibility is no longer theoretical—it is real, pressing, and heavy. I wonder: Do I have the strength to carry this burden as they did? Can I make the same sacrifice? Or is there a way to balance self-preservation with selflessness? Model: Massassi Alassani @mvssvssi Assistant: Suhruti Alassani @byalassani Creative Direction: Kadessi Alassani Thank you for your help in bring this project to life @iamanaveronica #art #atlas #devotion #bodybuilding taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
49
a year ago
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🧚🏿CHRISTINA🧚🏿 Photography: @bykadessi Model: @tinaorii ❤️ Braids by me! Thank you @_ymk_99 for your help with these heavy braids 😭❤️❤️ by @bykadessi
42
2 years ago
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"ATLAS - The Bearer of Needs" My drive in life has always been fueled by a sense of duty—to be present for those around me, whether emotionally, physically, or financially. This instinct, inherited from my parents, was more than a virtue; it was a way of life. I watched them extend their hand to anyone in need, often at great personal cost. Their sacrifice was never questioned, their generosity never withheld. “Charity begins at home” echoed through our walls, not as a mere proverb but as a guiding principle. The fruits I bear are not solely for my own sustenance but for the village that nurtured me. I grew up revering this ethos, taking pride in the boundless generosity shown by parents. Yet, I never paused to consider the quiet toll it took on them—the weight of being a pillar, the cost of being a giver. Now, as I find myself stepping into this inherited role, I stand at a crossroads. The responsibility is no longer theoretical—it is real, pressing, and heavy. I wonder: Do I have the strength to carry this burden as they did? Can I make the same sacrifice? Or is there a way to balance self-preservation with selflessness? Model: Massassi Alassani @mvssvssi Assistant: Suhruti Alassani @byalassani Creative Direction: Kadessi Alassani Thank you for your help in bring this project to life @iamanaveronica #art #atlas #devotion #bodybuilding taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
37
a year ago
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“Protect me from myself” Styling: Ana Veronica Model: Andy Kapaga Creative Direction & Photography: Kadessi Alassani #creativedirection #visualstorytelling #surrealart taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
4
3 years ago
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MYLES Artefacts from the Myles’s @royalcollegeofart Graduate Show titled Njiko (“Connection”) Wardrobe: @seventhstores Model: @mylesigwe @ntejestudio Art Direction: @iamanaveronica Photography/Creative Direction: @bykadessi So much respect for you as an artist, it was a pleasure taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
12
2 years ago
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“Nameless” by Ana Veronica Creative Direction, Hair, Styling: Ana Veronica Model: Amirat Photography: Me #fashionphotography #creativedirection #africanart taken in London, United Kingdom by @bykadessi
36
3 years ago
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