May, June and July

We are pleased to welcome Tito Valery as an artist-in-residence this month. To arrange his residency, we worked in collaboration with the Artists at Risk network to enable Valery to temporarily leave Cameroon.

Find out more about the Artists at Risk network here.

As a photographer, public figure and media personality, Tito Valery (b. 1982, Cameroon) has written, hosted and directed the socio-political radio talkshow W.A.K.A (where African Knowledge Applies) and the television shows " Ya'Mo, (To enjoy Africa) Goodmorning Cameroon, the Break and @W.a.k.a. In December 2017, Valery co-wrote and co-hosted an apolitical wake-up/consciousness awakening radio show with French speaking Rapper & political activist Valsero.

Through his work, Valery draws attention to social issues and the inequities and oppressive measures taken by the Cameroonian Government. In 2015 he self-financed the exhibition 'The Northern Survivors' that drew attention to the situation of Cameroonian refugees in the northern part of the country who were courageously fleeing the terrorist group Boko Haram.

During the opening of Documenta 14 in Athens 2017, he was one of the programmers for Cameroon on the Documenta radio programme curated by Bonaventure Ndikung of Savvy Contemporary. 

As part of the broadcast Valery spoke about the oppressive situation and internet shut down in southern Cameroon and called on art institutions to engage in alternative communications outlets - to create community radio stations to help artists channel their ideas and works despite the oppressive measures of the government which are mainly experienced through the excessive use of force and police brutality on Buea University students and Anglophone Cameroonians. 

Valery has shown his works and contributed to major festivals and institutions such as Documenta 14, Athens 2017, Performa 17, New York as a co-writer and performer on the TRACEY ROSE SHOW. He has had numerous solo and group shows such as The Northern Survivors, 2016 and Hands, Triangle Ouest group photo exhibition OFF Dakart Biennale, Villa Ovata Dakar, 2014. In 2014 he was among the ten artists selected for the 'Asiko' curatorial residency hosted by CCA (Centre for Contemporary Art), Lagos.

AR-Residency Wysing Arts Centre is a cooperation between Wysing Arts Centre and Artists at Risk (AR). AR-Residents are facilitated by AR, and commissioned by Wysing Arts Centre with funding from Arts Council England.The Secretariat of Artists at Risk (AR) is funded by the Kone Foundation.