Bella Denise’s cultural highlights

Bella Denise resides in London, where she grew up and has lived most of her life. She identifies as a Londoner of African heritage. As an interdisciplinary artist primarily focused on video installations, she makes work which meditates on lost cultures and legacy, through an intersectional lens. Bella holds an MFA in Fine Art Photography from Parsons School of Design, The New School in New York. She has completed commissions for Brighton Museum, NOW Gallery, and Four Corners Gallery in London. 

 

Album: A Light for Attracting Attention (2022)

In truth, anything from Radiohead and its members would feature on any hit list of mine. I was a typical teenager – anxious, sad, and in love with the melancholic rhythms of Radiohead. Their work, like mine explores, to some extent, our anxieties, which continue to transform as we navigate the phases and chapters of our lives. The essence of our bones and muscles remains the same, whilst being subject to significant change. In this spirit, two members of Radiohead have formed the English band The Smile, which embodies the latest reincarnation of their soul. This album is full of interweaving styles, from funk to jazz to rock and roll. They inspire me to keep shape-shifting with the tides to sustain a creative practice.

https://www.thesmiletheband.com/music

 

Book: Things Fall Apart (1958) 

I first read Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart during my undergraduate degree in English Literature and Language. It was on the reading list for a post-colonial literature module. I remember finishing the book near the end of a London Tube line. I was alone in the carriage with the sun streaming in off the tops of suburban houses. I closed the book gently, sat back in my seat, and cried. It just shot right through me. The book is about a culture on the brink of change and in conflict with its traditions. Its theme mirrored my fractured relationship with my father and our heritage in Nigeria, providing me with a perspective and insight that I had never truly understood.

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/55499/things-fall-apart-by-chinua-achebe-introduction-by-biyi-bandele/9780141186887

 

Film: Naked (1993)

I first heard about Mike Leigh’s Naked because a guy I fancied when I was 18 mentioned it was his favourite. He was older, a film studies student, and I thought he was incredibly cool. In an attempt to learn as much as possible about him, I watched the film and was utterly blown away. I’m not sure if my passion for it stems from this long-lost first love or if I genuinely believe it’s one of the greatest films ever made by a British director; I like to think it’s the latter. In my view, Naked is one of the finest portrayals of those who straddle the margins of London. Violence, rage, and darkness envelop the film’s characters, who are both richly repulsive and appallingly attractive – much like my feelings about London.

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/mike-leigh-naked-truth

 

TV: This is England, ‘86

A strong intention behind my work is the need to resolve an internal conflict by exploring something external to my life. As the daughter of migrants, I have always struggled with my relationship with England. This Is England ’86 (2010) is a British series that is a spin-off of Shane Meadow’s 2006 film This is England. It presents a powerful metaphor for the tumultuous and complex identity of Britain. By charting the journey of a group of young working-class misfits in Sheffield during the 1980s, the series encapsulates the complicated relationships that many young people face due to a legacy of emotional and socio-economic deprivation, with far-reaching implications for their past, present, and future.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/this-is-england-86

 

 

Art Film: Grenfell, (2023)

I have long been a fan of Steve McQueen’s films and video artwork, and he is a significant inspiration for me. The tragedy of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire was a devastating wound of a reminder of the social injustices that persist at the margins of English society. Transforming such horrific loss into something poetic and meditative is challenging; however, Grenfell, a film installation on view at Serpentine South in 2023, accomplished just that. The film features an aerial long shot of the remains of Grenfell Tower, with the viewpoint repeatedly circling the carcass of the building. The silence in the gallery was eerie, creating a profound moment for reflection on our individual responses to that tragedy while we bore witness to what remained.

https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/about/press/grenfellbystevemcqueen/

 

A favourite WritersMosaic writer 

John Akomfrah for paving the way for artists like me.