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Khadija Saye

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Khadija Saye
Born(1992-07-30)30 July 1992
Hammersmith, London, England
Died14 June 2017(2017-06-14) (aged 24)
North Kensington, London, England
Cause of deathGrenfell Tower fire
Other namesYa-Haddy Sisi Saye
EducationRugby School
Alma materUniversity for the Creative Arts
OccupationArtist/Photographer
Known forPhotography and artwork
Websitesayephoto.format.com estateofkhadijasaye.co.uk

Khadija Mohammadou Saye (30 July 1992 – 14 June 2017), also known as Ya-Haddy Sisi Saye,[1] was a Gambian-British photographer.[2][3] Her photography explored her Gambian-British identity and was exhibited in the Diaspora Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2017. Saye died in the Grenfell Tower fire.

Life and work

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Saye was born in London and initially attended the Sion Manning Roman Catholic Girls' School in North Kensington.[4] At age 16 she won a scholarship to Rugby School in Rugby, England.[5] Later she attended the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham and obtained a photography degree.[6][7] She lived with her mother, Mary Ajaoi Augustus Mendy, on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower in North Kensington.[1][5] She was mentored by artist Nicola Green and became friends with Green's husband, Tottenham MP David Lammy.[5][8]

Saye's photography explored her Gambian-British identity.[9] Her series of photographs entitled Dwellings: in this Space we Breathe, based on Gambian spiritual practices,[1] was exhibited in the Diaspora Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale from May to November 2017.[6][10][11] Saye took part in a BBC TV documentary, Venice Biennale: Sink or Swim, that was scheduled for broadcast on 17 June. The programme "follows a team of diverse emerging artists as they install and prepare to launch the first ever Diaspora Pavilion in a Venetian palazzo during the Venice Biennale".[9]

Saye was a passionate activist and educator, she volunteered at Jawaab to educate and empower young Muslims.[12] She worked at PEER as a Creative Access intern from 2015 to 2016.[13]

Death

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Both Saye and her mother died in the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June 2017.[6][14][15]

Legacy

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Saye's In this space we breathe at the British Library, September 2021

The BBC TV programme on the Venice Biennale that included Saye was postponed after the fire[16] and transmitted in September 2017.

Following her death, Tate Britain announced that it would exhibit a silkscreen of one of the pieces from the Dwellings series, Sothiou (2017), in the memorials section.[17]

Her work was part of the reopening show of Kettle's Yard in Cambridge on 10 February 2018.[18]

In 2018 Saye's works were auctioned at Christie's as part of the Post-War and Contemporary Day Auction. Nak Bejjen, one of the tintypes from the series Dwelling: in this space we breath was sold for £43,750.[19]

Between 2 October and 2 November 2019 a portfolio of nine silkscreen prints, titled In this space we breathe were exhibited at Victoria Miro Gallery. This was part of Rock My Soul, an exhibition of black female artists curated by the artist Isaac Julien.[20]

In 2019, the London Transport Museum launched a photography fellowship program in Saye's name.[21]

A paid internship at PEER has been set up in Saye's name for young BAME artists.[22]

In July 2020 Khadija Saye Arts was launched at IntoUniversity. The programme addresses the issue of BAME inclusivity in the creative industries by focusing directly on the barriers that exist to young people from disadvantaged communities. It provides support and mentoring to help young people to explore the Arts. The launch of the Khadija Saye Arts coincided with the unveiling of Breath is Invisible, Nine large-scale prints of Saye's series in this space we breath were displayed across the outside façade of 236 Westbourne Grove in West London. This was the first of three exhibitions to run at the space, all of which aim to explore social inequality and injustice.[23][24][25]

Between 23 October 2020 and 1 August 2021 Saye's tin-type, Peitaw, was exhibited at the British Library as part of the exhibition Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women's Rights.[26] Concurrently and still showing is Saye's portfolio of nine silkscreen prints, In this space we breathe, in the Entrance Hall Gallery of the British Library (3 December 2020 – 7 October 2021).[27]

Exhibitions

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[28]

  • Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries, London, 2014
  • Diaspora Pavilion, Venice Biennale, Palazzo Pisani S Marina, Venice, Italy, 2017
  • Tate Modern, London, 2017
  • Actions, Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, 2018
  • in this space we breathe, British Library, London, 2020/21
  • Unfinished Business: The Fight for Women's Rights, British Library, London, 2020/21

References

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  1. ^ a b c "London fire: Who are the victims?". BBC News. 19 June 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. ^ Movahedi, Sanaz (17 June 2017). "Among the victims, my kind, funny friend Khadija Saye, and her mum". The Observer. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  3. ^ Berrington, Katie (19 June 2017). "Remembering Artist Khadija Saye". Vogue. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Khadija Saye (St 08-10)". Retrieved 17 July 2017.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b c Smyth, Diane (20 June 2017). "Obituary: Khadija Saye, fast-rising artist killed tragically young in Grenfell Tower". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Topping, Alexandra (17 June 2017). "Khadija Saye: artist on cusp of recognition when she died in Grenfell". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  7. ^ "Artist Khadija Saye confirmed as victim of Grenfell Tower fire" A-N, 16 June 2017. Accessed 23 June 2017
  8. ^ Sommers, Jack (16 June 2017). "David Lammy Fights Back Tears Describing Khadija Saye, Who Died In Grenfell Tower Fire". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  9. ^ a b "Venice Biennale: Sink or Swim" BBC Two. Accessed 29 June 2017
  10. ^ Shaw, Annie (19 June 2017). "In pictures: the 'remarkable, powerful' works of Khadija Saye who died in Grenfell Tower blaze". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  11. ^ Brinkhurst-Cuff, Charlie (20 June 2017). "Celebrating the art of Khadija Saye, a Grenfell fire victim". Dazed. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  12. ^ "One year on from Grenfell – we celebrate the real Khadija Saye". Jawaab. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  13. ^ Movahedi, Sanaz (17 June 2017). "Among the victims, my kind, funny friend Khadija Saye, and her mum". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  14. ^ Woodcock, Andrew (17 June 2017). "Grenfell Tower fire: 24-year-old artist Khadija Saye named as victim". The Independent. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Five-year-old Grenfell fire victim died after his hand slipped from his neighbour's grasp as they tried to escape". Daily Telegraph. 26 June 2017.
  16. ^ Grafton-Green, Patrick (17 June 2017). "BBC pulls documentary featuring Grenfell Tower fire victim". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  17. ^ Sulcas, Roslyn (20 June 2017). "Art of a Grenfell Tower Fire Victim Is Shown by the Tate". The New York Times. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
  18. ^ Brown, Mark (4 December 2017). "Works by artist who died in Grenfell fire to be shown at Cambridge gallery". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  19. ^ Brady, Anna (20 September 2019). "Grenfell victim Khadija Saye's salvaged images to be sold for charity at Victoria Miro". www.theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  20. ^ Brady, Anna (20 September 2019). "Grenfell victim Khadija Saye's salvaged images to be sold for charity at Victoria Miro". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  21. ^ "Photography fellowship launched in memory of Khadija Saye | Museums Association". www.museumsassociation.org. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Khadija Saye 1992-2017". PEER. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  23. ^ Edmonds, Lizzie (7 July 2020). "Khadija Saye artworks on display in outdoor Notting Hill exhibition". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  24. ^ Shaw, Anny (7 July 2020). "'Tender, gentle and creative soul': outdoor exhibition in west London pays tribute to artist Khadija Saye who died in Grenfell fire". www.theartnewspaper.com. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  25. ^ Arts, Lanre Bakare; correspondent, culture (7 July 2020). "Art project launched in honour of Grenfell artist Khadija Saye". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 July 2020. {{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  26. ^ Thompson, Jessie (23 October 2020). "Six defining London moments from the history of women's rights". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Khadija Saye – In this space we breathe". The British Library. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  28. ^ "About". Estate of Khadija Saye. Retrieved 20 September 2022.[better source needed]
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