Very few people alive today, if any, inspire us the way Khalid Wildman does. No singular title is sufficient to capture the breadth or depth of his artistic vision and creative expression, perhaps because his work and life transcend titular traditions and thus subsequently exist in their own unique space; a space of his own making or, more accurately, the space around us.
Whether it is in his refined taste in fashion, film (photographic and otherwise) or furniture, literally everything Khalid touches is gold. After a fortuitous meeting in London last summer and gaining more insight into the fullness of his artistic practice, it has since become clear that his unfailing and unflinching midas touch is no coincidence at all as he himself has a heart of gold.
In so many ways, at both the institutional and individual level, HAUSEN has since become a beneficiary of Khalid’s prescience and perspective. Over time, many conversations with Khalid amongst sacred places and people have expanded the extent of creativity, fanned the flames of community and sown the seeds for collaboration that will undoubtedly bear fruit in due season.
At the moment, even as our respective artistic and curatorial practices further coalesce, Khalid is now embarking on the next chapter in an already exciting journey with January Tamarind; a Black-owned concept space and gallery for collectible objects and design from around the world with a focus on work, both timeless and contemporary, from across the African Diaspora.
“I wanted space to be able to share the stories of art and design and [a] layer of context where sometimes it was missing, even if only works of friends and artist[s] I admired or felt fond of and change the limited amount of Black-owned art spaces,” he says.
In speaking with several other pioneering creative professionals based in London, the resounding feedback is that such spaces, where the vastness and variedness of Blackness—particularly with regard to art, culture and design—can be explored and expressed authentically are unfortunately nearly nonexistent.
We accept that this problem is not germane to London and is sadly reflective of so many other sites of cultural production the world over, but we reject the notion that this must be the norm.
Even during this time of indescribable need, we hope that you will consider making a contribution towards a vision for a space that will in turn make space for Black voices and lives to thrive.
