Shows
What Now? with Trevor NoahMeet Derek Fordjour – One of My Favorite PeopleInterdisciplinary artist Derek Fordjour is one of Trevor’s Favorite People. The two discuss creating art, African diaspora, and assigning value within society. Above all else, they agree humans need storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2025-05-081h 52
New Additions by the Studio Museum in HarlemNew Additions: Derek FordjourThis episode features artist Derek Fordjour in conversation about his work "Fly Away" (2020). Derek Fordjour’s paintings, sculptures, and installations render the fraught complexities of the Black American experience.Born to Ghanaian immigrant parents in Memphis, Fordjour’s creative aptitude was present from a young age, though his path to artistry took a circuitous route. After briefly attending Pratt Institute, Fordjour took a break from his art education before attending and graduating from Morehouse College, Harvard University, and Hunter College. Fordjour’s artwork is layered with textures and intricate details. His themes include the tension between invisibility and hy...2024-12-1056 min
Drawing SouthConversation (another) with Marlos E'van
Just had an incredible conversation with @marlosevan! We dove deep into his artistic journey, discussing everything from his mentor Derek Fordjour to his ongoing grad school applications. 🎨📚 Marlos shared so many valuable connections during our chat, including shoutouts to Ash Atterberry, Vesna Pavlovic, and Courtney Adaire Johnson. 💬
We also explored the origins of his clown work, the challenges of unexpectedly moving studios, and even his passion for making films. 🎥 It was fascinating to hear how Turner Classic Movies influenced him as a latchkey kid. 📺
Whether you've been waiting for this conversation since Marlos was one of the...2024-08-121h 49
Art SenseEp. 120: Artist Derek FordjourA conversation with artist Derek Fordjour about his paintings, sculptures and installations that raise questions of race, identity, and inequality. Derek discusses the journey from his youth as the son of immigrants in Memphis to the inner sanctum of the art world. He also talks about his new show titled "SCORE" opening November 10 at Petzel Gallery in New York. Like his 2020 "SELF MUST DIE" exhibit at Petzel, "SCORE" transforms the exhibit space and utilizes performance to push the bounds of what we think of as a gallery exhibit.https://www.petzel.com/exhibitions/derek-fordjour2https://www...2023-11-0856 min
Voices On Art - The VAN HORN Gallery Podcast | hosted by Daniela Steinfeld#78 NINA JOHNSON | Gallerist, Miami, FL | Independent Special 2023My guest for this special Independent art fair Episode is Nina Johnson, who runs her eponymous gallery in Miami since more than 15 years. Nina was born into a family of business owners on the maternal side, dealing being a part of her DNA. As a child she developed a deep interest in the history and charging of objects and the stories that could be told through them. She decided to become an art dealer and knew, to excell in that field, she needed a deeper understanding of the way artists make work. From her teenage years on she learned...2023-04-1838 min
Dixon DirectDerek FordjourDerek Fordjour is a New York-based artist, who was born and raised in Memphis, TN. He sits down with host Chantal Drake to discuss his current projects and inspirations, including the Contemporary Arts Memphis Summer Fellowship, which he founded this year. Learn more and support CAM Summer Fellowship: https://www.camsummer.org/Follow Fordjour on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fordjourstudio/?hl=enSupport art and horticultural education by becoming a Dixon member!https://www.dixon.org/membershipHosted by Chantal Drake, Director of Development and Communications, Dixon G...2022-08-0837 min
On GoingnessAndy Manjuck and Dorothy James: On Puppet TheaterDorothy James is a Brooklyn based puppeteer and maker of tiny things. She has puppeteered for Wakka Wakka (Made in China, 59E59 Theaters, FigurTeatret i Nordland; The Immortal Jellyfish Girl, FigurTeatret), Nick Lehane and Derek Fordjour (SELF MUST DIE: Fly Away, Petzel Gallery), Basil Twist (Hansel & Gretel, Michigan Opera Theatre), Molly Smith (Snow Child, Arena Stage), AchesonWalsh & Radio City (The New York Spectacular…) Unknown Mortal Orchestra (“That Life”), BBC (Moon and Me), Amazon (Patriot), and Apple TV+ (Hello Tomorrow!). As a creator, Dorothy uses table top, shadow, rod, and paper cut puppetry to create otherworldly narratives that meld the grotes...2022-07-141h 00
CUNYcastDerek Fordjour Captures the Eye — and the MomentFor Derek Fordjour, an alumnus of Hunter College’s MFA program, the turmoil of 2020 was a canvas for a breakthrough year featuring two critically acclaimed exhibitions. He talks about his life and how he turned his work as a multidisciplinary artist into dazzling and emotional social observation.2021-02-1634 min
Art World: Whitehot Magazine with Noah BeckerLarry Ossei-MensahLarry Ossei-Mensah is a Ghanaian-American independent curator and cultural critic who has documented contemporary art happenings for various publications including Uptown and Whitewall Magazine. His writings have profiled some of the most dynamic visual artists working today—Derrick Adams, Mickalene Thomas, Kehinde Wiley, Lorna Simpson and street artist JR. As a curator, Ossei-Mensah uses contemporary art and culture as a vehicle to redefine how we see ourselves and the world around us. He has organized exhibitions at commercial and nonprofit galleries throughout New York City featuring a roster of critically acclaimed emerging and mid-career artists including Firelei Baez, ruby amanze, Hu...2021-02-1251 min
St. Louis on the Air‘After Shelter’ Gathers St. Louisans’ Pandemic Reflections For StoryCorpsThe Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis has added a new component to its exhibition of the work of Derek Fordjour: a "microprogram" called After Shelter. The museum is asking patrons to share their oral reflections on Fordjour's art and the pandemic, with the audio to be archived with the national nonprofit StoryCorps. Chief Curator Wassan Al-Khudhairi joined host Sarah Fenske to explain the idea behind the audio project and how it fits with the themes in Fordjour's work. We also played some of the museum patrons' reflections.2020-07-2222 min
What Lies Behind, with Little Black DoorInterview with Adora Mba, founder of The Afropolitan CollectorTHE LBD DAILY. Providing raw, authentic content from the intertwining worlds of fashion and tech. Marina spoke with Adora Mba, founder of The Afropolitan Collector. An art advisory platform that specializes in the acquisition, cultivation, and promotion of Contemporary Art and Design from Africa and its global diasporas. She works with a range of clients and art organizations from government and non-profit, to auction houses, museums, galleries, brands, and independent artists. In this episode, we find out: 1. She tells us why she launched The Afropolitan Collector 2. How she finds the artists which she represents. 3. Her views on...2020-04-0715 min
New Thinking, from the Center for Justice InnovationArt vs. Mass IncarcerationCan art transform the criminal justice system? On this special edition of New Thinking, host Matt Watkins sits down with two New York City artists on the rise—Derek Fordjour and Shaun Leonardo—who both work with our Project Reset to provide an arts-based alternative to court and a criminal record for people arrested on a low-level charge. With the program set to expand city-wide, the three discuss art’s potential to help heal a racialized criminal justice system.
Full show notes (images, links, transcript, etc.)
2019-09-0441 min
New Thinking, from the Center for Justice InnovationArt vs. Mass IncarcerationCan art transform the criminal justice system? On this special edition of New Thinking, host Matt Watkins sits down with two New York City artists on the rise—Derek Fordjour and Shaun Leonardo—who both work with our Project Reset to provide an arts-based alternative to court and a criminal record for people arrested on a low-level charge. With the program set to expand city-wide, the three discuss art’s potential to help heal a racialized criminal justice system.
Full show notes (images, links, transcript, etc.)2019-09-0441 min
1-54 Forum1-54 Forum New York 2019 | To Exhibit Means To Show: the making of an artist's book1-54 Forum New York 3 - 5 May 2019 To Exhibit Means to Show: the making of an artist's book Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa (Photographer) and Derek Fordjour (Artist), draw on their publications One Wall a Web and FORDJOUR with Gee Wesley (Co-founder and Co-director, Ulises). The presentation investigates notions of display and the role of publishing artist books from the perspective of the artist. Image: © Brittany Buongiorno www.1-54.com2019-05-1058 min