The October Gallery

What an amazing evening last night? I met Chris Spring from the British Museum, Elisabeth of the October Gallery and Yinka Shonibare MBE.

Yinka has such kind eyes and thick dreadlocks. I stood in front of him, nervous and not knowing what to say....beside him was a beautiful woman who cared for him so compassionately, they looked the best of friends. He wore a fashionable blue pinstriped suit and calmly walked around the gallery whispering to his partner. I wanted to say so much but ended up talking rubbish. There must have been about 1,000 people there last night. The actor from Holby City who plays the doctor opened the show with a speech about Ghana and his childhood.

Being in the crowd I was taken aback about how gentle, generous and attractive everybody looked. The room was filled with a mixed bag, some black some white, some old some young but we were all there to support the idea of contemporary Africa. This was a little gathering of those that wanted to see some form of change in society; a tiny pocket in London just around the corner from Holborn tube.
There I stood amongst them all uncomfortably umming and rrring. Wish you could have seen me. Over the coming weeks I would like to introduce the artists that Elisabeth and Chris have chosen to represent the continent of Africa but as for now just take a trip to the October Gallery and see for yourself.