1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

Ashley January creates contemporary paintings informed by her maternal experience. Exploring themes of preeclampsia, premature birth, and healing after experiencing birth trauma, her newest body of work continues to address the Black maternal mortality and morbidity crisis in America. Ashley became the first recipient of the Women’s Caucus for Art 2022 Emerging Artist Award and will debut her newest series, Environments of a Heavy Joy, at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London. Last spring, Cynthia Corbett Gallery presented her series at EXPO Chicago 2024. She was selected as a finalist for the 2022 Artadia Chicago Award, and in January 2023, she had the second installment of her solo exhibition, Human | Mother | Black, at Western Illinois University. Most recently, Ashley was included in the group exhibition Mama Needs a Raise! at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn, New York, and was invited to participate in the Art on a Postcard, War Child UK auction. In 2023, she was invited to participate in the Unit London (Voices) online group exhibition Naissance/Re-Naissance.

Tufts University School of Medicine’s Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice acquired multiple paintings from her series. She was also included in the London Art Fair Platform curation through Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Her works have been exhibited in numerous venues, including Apex Art, New York, NY; the Young Masters Autumn Exhibition in London, UK; the South Side Community Art Center, Chicago, IL; Art Division, Los Angeles, CA; SoLA Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA; the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL; South Shore Arts, Munster, IN; Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA; Pacific Art Foundation, Newport Beach, CA; and the Irvine Fine Arts Center, Irvine, CA. Recently, she was featured in the January 2023 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design Chicago magazine. Her paintings have also been featured in the television series Kings of Napa on OWN. In 2018, she was selected as a first-place award winner at the Woman Made Gallery’s Midwest Open in Chicago. In 2017, Ashley won the Beverly Bank Best of Show Award at the Beverly Arts Center’s juried competition.

Ashley earned her MFA in Painting from Laguna College of Art and Design, Laguna Beach, CA, in 2017, and her BS in Communication with an Advertising concentration and Minor in Studio Art from Bradley University, Peoria, IL, in 2009. She lives in Chicago with her family while working from home and her studio at Mana Contemporary.

FREYA BRAMBLE-CARTER

b. 1991, UK

Freya Bramble-Carter is a London-based ceramic artist, known for creating contemporary designs, often strongly inspired by a balancing flow of femininity and masculinity, with an appreciation for the power of nature and the universe we live in. Freya combines her lifestyle of imagining and working with clay, as well as her life experiences and personal philosophies, into one—changing delusion and enjoyment into a unified expression. She strives to live in the most authentic way true to herself, in order to learn about life and expand.

Freya’s work ranges from fine homewares, including plates and bowls, to large outdoor sculptural pieces and water features for interior or outdoor spaces. Applying her talent to artisan glazes and handcrafting unique silhouettes, Freya's limited-edition pieces are designed to elevate spaces and evoke awe, often through beauty and tactile appeal. Freya’s connectivity to her practice extends to her body of work within international workshops. The practice connects mind, body, and soul, allowing her creative expression to be shared with all.

In this new series for the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2024, Freya's inspiration comes from the everyday, shaped by her unique upbringing. With a clowning mother and a potting father, Freya has recently begun to share how these early experiences influence her work. Childhood memories—echoes of serene moments in British schools—find their way into her art, flowing through her imagination like a quiet stream of reflection.

Freya is fascinated by the way we filter our complex thoughts through personal narratives, like a sieve that shapes our perspective. Her art invites us to question the roles we play and the characters we embody, often unconsciously.

"I like to think of my pieces as people, whether they are figurative or not," Freya says. "Throughout the making process, I feel a connection with the final outcome—and here they are: fantastical, otherworldly creations. Alien clay. So, I have to ask—do you believe in aliens?"

Freya, a 2013 graduate of Chelsea School of Art, has been represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery since 2021. Notable exhibitions include Collect 2022–2024, Art Miami debut 2022, "Body Vessel Clay" curated by Dr. Jareh Das, and "Like Paradise" at Claridge's, curated by Ekow Eshun. In 2023, Freya was featured on Alexa's Art Tour with British Vogue, where she and Alexa Chung delved into discussions about change and artistic expression during an insightful interview held in Freya's studio. Earlier in 2024, Freya was one of six London-based artists featured in the Uniqlo & JW Anderson Spring/Summer 2024 collection, celebrating its rich historical context.

Freya Bramble-Carter is represented by Cynthia Corbett Gallery.

DOLA POSH

b. 1991, Nigeria

Dola Posh is a Black/Nigerian-born visual storyteller living in England.

Dola finds inspiration in her life journey, which transformed after her pregnancy. In her work, she explores the loss of self-identity and postpartum depression, conveying strength, vulnerability, and creative perseverance.

She won the Leica Women Foto Project Award in 2024. Her photograph Care from the Omo Mi series graced billboards around the UK, commissioned by Artichoke Trust and Gallery Org. Facebook has licensed her work, and she received Leica's UK grant for the Women in Focus Photo Project.

EyeMama included her work in the book Poetic Truths of Home and Motherhood. Her photo, Mother’s Day Year 3, was exhibited and sold at the Young Masters exhibition. She facilitated an NHS workshop on mental health and postpartum depression and continues to do so. She also spoke at Ravensbourne University about women and photography for Capture One.

Dola continues to use visual narratives and words to tell the stories of people, Black women, and mothers regarding mental and sexual health and expression, as a mother herself.

Dola Posh was a finalist for the Young Masters Art Prize in 2023.

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