Marais, Paris
Ranti Bam
How Do We Hold Our Stories?
Andréhn-Schiptjenko[Scroll down for French version / Veuillez trouver ci-dessous la version française] Andréhn-Schiptjenko is pleased to present How Do We Hold Our Stories? by British-Nigerian artist Ranti Bam. Previously part of the group show malleable/alléatoire (2023), curated by Chloé Bonnie-More, this marks Bam's first solo exhibition at the gallery. The exhibition features new Ifa sculptures alongside pieces from her Abstract Vessels series. The title How Do We Hold Our Stories? reflects Bam's deep interest in language. She explores the feminine semiotics of intimacy, care, and vulnerability, crucial for rethinking our relationship with nature and dismantling ideological constructs. Bam uses clay as an avatar to explore themes of collective bodies, connectivity, and the multiple significations of water. For Bam, clay is a living material that ties all beings to the earth. This concept is embodied in her ongoing Ifa series, named after the Yoruba words "ifá" (divination) and "I-fàá" (to pull close). Each piece channels a profound connection to self and place, transcending language to touch the ineffable realms of energetic and material existence. The Ifas are formed by Bam physically embracing the clay before firing, resulting in dips and folds that give each sculpture a bodily presence, further emphasized by their placement on wooden, plinth-like stools. Her Abstract Vessels are defined by this same care and tenderness. Each sculpture is crafted from embellished slabs, painted or mono-printed with pigmented slips before being assembled into delicate, oblong forms. The exterior of each piece is unglazed, highlighting delicate cracked surfaces achieved by exploring the limits of the clay by rolling the unreinforced slabs as thinly as possible and firing the vessels past their prescribed temperature. In contrast, the inside of each form is glazed, embodying the idea of the anima as a luminous, reflective interiority. Bam describes her sculptures as hearths—places of communal nourishment, holding spiritual and physical sustenance. Through her vessels, Bam creates microcosms that investigate relationships, material limitations, and broader themes of freedom and containment. Her practice extends beyond ceramics to include film and photography, both of which are featured in this exhibition. Ranti Bam (b. 1982, Lagos, Nigeria) received her MA from The Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design and a diploma in ceramics from City Lit, London. In 2023, Bam was commissioned to produce a series of Ifas for the Liverpool Biennial in the United Kingdom. She recently had a solo exhibition, Anima, at the James Cohan Gallery, New York and her work has been featured in group exhibitions such as Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection (2023) Chazen Museum of Art, Madison, Wisconsin, and Hard/Soft: Textiles and Ceramics in Contemporary Art (2023), Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, Austria. Bam’s work is represented in the public collections of the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Contemporary Art Society, London; Chazen Museum of Arts, Wisconsin; High Museum, Atlanta; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, the Princeton University Museum and the Fondation Thalie. ***** Nous avons le plaisir d’annoncer l’exposition How do we hold our stories ? par l'artiste britannico-nigériane Ranti Bam. Cela marque la première exposition personnelle de l’artiste avec la galerie qui l'avait déjà précédemment présentée lors de l'exposition collective malléable/aléatoire en 2023. Le titre How do we hold our stories ? reflète l'intérêt profond de Bam pour le langage. Elle s’empare de sémiotiques vues comme féminines telles que celles de l'intimité, du soin et de la vulnérabilité. Celles-ci sont essentielles pour repenser notre relation avec la nature et démanteler certaines de nos constructions idéologiques. Bam utilise l'argile comme un avatar pour explorer les thèmes de corps collectifs, de connectivité, ainsi que les multiples significations de l'eau. Dans cette exposition, Bam présente de nouvelles sculptures Ifa ainsi que des pièces de la série Abstract Vessels. Bam décrit ses sculptures comme des foyers, des lieux de fédération et de ressourcement collectifs où l'on se nourrit spirituellement et physiquement. À travers ses récipients, Bam crée des microcosmes qui explorent les relations entre les êtres, les limites matérielles ainsi que des thèmes plus larges comme ceux de la liberté ou de l'enfermement. Sa pratique s'étend au-delà de la céramique et comprend aussi le film et la photographie, qui seront tous deux présentés dans cette exposition.