Kitchen Conversations reflections

Artist and academic Alex Mein was asked to record Kitchen Conversations, a series of curated conversations that took place at Shipwright in Deptford for LIFT 2022, hosted by Nairobi-based The Nest Collective.

“I am grateful to have been commissioned to document The Nest Collective’s event “Kitchen Conversations”. Over two evenings I watched, listened and sketched the guests in real time – as they debated, laughed, shared, disagreed and bonded over thought provoking discussion.  These candid conversations explored race, gender, sexuality, age, diasporic community and the legacy of colonialism in safe, fearless atmosphere. Conversing on these issues over food on a summer’s evening besides the River Thames, in a building with its own links to Empire, felt radical, empowering and spiritually nourishing. I hope my drawings of these special events illustrate the range of the participants, and the sense of honesty, intimacy, compassion and belonging they were able to experience through being brought together. “

View Alex’s drawings in the gallery below or to see them larger, use the following links:

Illustration no. 1

Illustration no. 2