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A snippet of a longer conversation we had with recent @sladeschool graduate Femi Themen.

(Quietly) Reckoning - Opening reception October 13th 6:30pm

44 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3JL

Work inquires:
Email: aviva@subtitlelabs.com
Whatsapp: +16479702736 by @subtitlelabs

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6 days ago

It is our pleasure to announce a very special duo show during Frieze Week between Femi Themen, a British Surinamese artist and Fungai Benhura a British Zimbabwean artist. This will be our third time working with Fungai, which we are very excited about, and our first exhibition with Femi following her Night Residency.

(Quietly) Reckoning opens on Tuesday, 13th of October, and we are delighted to welcome you to the Private View at 44 Great Russell St. at 6:30pm.

The exhibition, led as an installation, combines two practices that push the boundaries of what materiality can uncover. Their works act as improvisations, in part, forms of jazz, that weave difficult conversations, and are able to carry the weight of their ideas. The end result creates an antiphony, a non-dominating social relationship, hosting an encounter, which enables two practices to speak individually and in unison. Thus, enabling both conversations to be opened at once.

Femi’s use of holes, which are a motif throughout the body of work in Winti (Surinamese spirituality) symbolises neither a beginning nor an end, whilst Fungai’s mark making between the paper upon the canvas, creates new openings, without creating an ending. Both artists puncture their materials in order to create dialogue, directly approaching the material and the narrative. These passages, explore their collective interior, as Femi writes:

‘We were sitting on the balcony overlooking the river, somewhere near Botopassi. There are blanks, moments, wording or narratives that my brain tries to sequence – I’m stitching memory. I suspect some moments are for her to remember. Do I have a right to know? (I determinedly thought so). What privacy is she allowed or afforded as my mother? I want to know what happened. After she told me, the words just kind of hung in the air. It felt like she was floating. I wanted to pull everything back down to ground. I guess now I’ve made enough mistakes to understand.’

(Quitely) Reckoning welcomes you to explore these narratives, engage with the artists and enter their worlds through the works.

Subtitle Labs looks forward to welcoming you. by @subtitlelabs

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14 days ago

We are excited to welcome Femi Themen, our second graduate at the Subtitle Night Residency. Femi is a recent graduate of the Slade School of Fine Art, just around the corner from us here in Bloomsbury.

During her time at Subtitle, Femi is developing a new body of work ahead of an exhibition at the gallery this October, during Frieze.

The residency is intended to provide a blank canvas for Femi to respond to the environment of the gallery and also enable her to consider her practice within the safety of the space. We are excited to see how the work develops over the coming weeks, and to share more of Femi’s practice along the way. taken in Bloomsbury, London by @subtitlelabs

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a month ago

Thank you to everyone that came to see our degree show - overwhelmed by the love, generosity and support. We’ve reached the last day now, catch me if you can ! 🏃🏽‍♀️

1. Degree show install, 2026, installation view
2. Femi sat amongst ‘Remembering to swallow before we sing so the words don’t get caught in our throat’, 2025, installation view
3. I was a tree, spending a century just grieving, 2026, installation view taken in Slade School of Fine Art by @subtitlelabs

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5 months ago

Very very delayed but wanted to share someone photos of the workshop @odiegracesss and I ran back in November ‘25! Big thank you to @skajombo and @_ezzzzzzgi for the space and support, and to everyone who joined us in conversation and making ⭐️ by @subtitlelabs

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5 months ago

‘Remembering to swallow before we sing so the words don’t get caught in our throat’ 2025
Scaffolding poles, quail eggs, leather cord, tiger’s eye beads, jewelling beads, seeds, Surinamese batiks

Previously shown in ‘Carpe Diem’ at Safehouse, Peckham, Nov’25

Big thanks to @rachnajohal and @orlatann for the opportunity, you held us with such care ❤️ taken in Safehouse 1 & 2 by @subtitlelabs

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a year ago

Content warning: audio alluding to sexual violence on 2nd slide

‘Pillow talk’
165 x 25 x 50 cm
Cherry wood, cane rattan, wall paint, reclaimed doorknob and hinges, sound (9 mins 23 secs)

Previously shown in ‘Collecting Dust Among Other Things’ at THE GARAGE, Oct ‘24 @deerbowie

First work I made during my time at @saicpics , always love for Chicago taken in School of the Art Institute of Chicago by @subtitlelabs

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2 years ago

Looking outside of sculpture, a couple new favourites that resonate with current political themes within the UK… mhm (thank you Zim for birthing these beautiful people)

1. Portia Zvavahera’s Vese Vakanddibata (They All Gave Me Strength), 2016, @zvavaheraportia
2. Portia Zvavahera’s This is where I travelled, 2020
3. Virginia Chihota’s Ndiri Mwana Wa.... (I am a child of ....), 2018, @virginiachihotaofficial
4. Virginia Chihota’s Kumira Mutariro (Waiting in Faith), 2017

All rights reserved by the artists by @subtitlelabs

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2 years ago

A bit late but wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who came to see Collectivist II, so much loveee 🌬️🤍 taken in Deptford by @subtitlelabs

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2 years ago

Untitled, 2024
Steel, synthetic hair, silver taken in Slade School of Fine Art by @subtitlelabs

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3 years ago

Some installation photos taken by @lucyemms of ‘The Grounds from which We Grow’ at @addisfineart on until Sat 17th Feb!

Work shown in order of appearance:
1. Femi Themen, She Listens, 2023 (above), and Natasha Burton, Fire Lillies, 2023 (below)
2. Natasha Burton, Untitled, 2023
3. Femi Themen, Untitled, 2024
4. Natasha Burton, Untitled, 2023
5. Femi Themen, As Long as Ropes Unravel, 2023, and New Geographies I, 2023
6. Natasha Burton, Untitled, 2023 by @subtitlelabs

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3 years ago

Caught in uniform by @sara4rchives by @subtitlelabs

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3 years ago