Arts and Culture

Dolly Kola-Balogun, the Abuja-based young Nigerian gallerist

A gallerist, hotelier and entrepreneur, she describes herself as always having been the youngest person in the room, but not in a negative way. Calling in from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, she tells The Sybarite all about her quest to scout the African continent for artistic talent, the importance position art has in social movements worldwide and the advice she has for young people trying to make it on their own.  What brings you to Abidjan? I'm here for work. One of my gallery partners is a gallery based in Bamako and we are doing a lot of collaborations together. We've done previous ones, but now we are starting to do more to ensure that there's more artistic exchange between the Francophone and Anglophone world. So I came from an exploratory visit. I was in Bamako just a week ago and now I'm in Abidjan for a series of meetings. Abidjan reminds me of a smaller, Francophone Lagos.

Featuring Expert astrologer Susan Levitt on your fortune – metal...

2020 as we all know has been a rough ride and although 2021 seems like a continuation of all the chaos that's been going on, we're hopeful that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Different from Western astrology, Chinese astrology takes a look at the year in which you were born which is matched to a particular animal from the Chinese zodiac. It offers pieces of advice and sometimes words of caution or things to avoid and look out for in that given year. If you are new to this, we highly recommend having a read at your own Chinese zodiac and understanding your characteristics and qualities which can be very interesting. You might even be surprised at what you'll find out. Or better yet, have a more intuitive reading and forecast of your present and future through a private session with Susan who will also be able to answer your burning questions. For those interested in finding out what the Year of the Ox brings, have a look below and in case you're unsure of which animal you belong to simply scroll down below to see what year you were born in under that particular animal.

Chopard’s Latest Unique Piece Perfect to Celebrate...

February 12th 2021 marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox. An Earth sign, emblem of the twelfth lunar month, the ox represents a period conducive to both nature and agriculture. This generous animal ensures prosperity and is a symbol of strength of the coming year. To honor the occasion, each year since 2013, Chopard has created exceptional L.U.C Haute Horlogerie timepieces, with an artistic interpretation of the Chinese Zodiac. Faithful to the tradition, Chopard has consistently worked with the best Japanese lacquer artisans who craft dials using the historic Urushi lacquer technique. The result is an exquisite edition of 88 dials produced by the workshops of the century-old Yamada Heiando company and made by master lacquer artist Minori Koizumi. The unique craftsmanship of Maki-e technique is used and captured between the layers of lacquer drawn from the sap of the Toxicodendron vernicifluum tree, gold flakes illuminate a background that features a golden ox with straight horns and an abundant coat, harnessed to a wagon.

Featuring Ada \ Contemporary art gallery presents inaugural...

February 2, 2021 (Accra, Ghana) - ADA \ contemporary art gallery, specialized in the work of emerging artists across Africa and its diaspora, unveils Enter Paradise, an exhibition of new paintings by South African emerging female artist Zandile Tshabalala (b. 1999, Soweto). Marking the artist’s debut solo career, and the gallery’s third consecutive debut solo show since opening in October 2020, the new paintings include a selection of figurative self-portraits in which Tshabalala revisits the representation of the Black female figure. Presented at ADA’s Accra- based gallery space and online, the exhibition will be on view from February 25 to April 18, 2021.  Currently completing her (BA) FINA from the University of the Witwatersrand, SA, Tshabalala creates a distinct visual narrative and artistic expression by challenging and deconstructing art historical canons of representation – recurrent motives which often marginalize and obliterate the Black female figure.

Featuring Adora Mba - On her new art gallery, ADA \...

African art is on the rise and the Director and Founder of ADA, Adora Mba, tells The Sybarite about the importance of raising artists profiles in Ghana, trends in African art and why she is championing female artists in her first year as gallerist. 

Featuring The sculpture park – the perfect escape for art lovers

From the 1st July they reopened their doors after 2 months and for a business that is normally open every day of the year (yes, even Christmas day) they have leapt at the chance to get all hands on deck and enhance the surroundings ready for the big reopening. The team of committed staff has gone above and beyond to transform the landscape to showcase a plethora of mesmerising new artworks. In this magical kingdom they have over 300 renowned and emerging artists showcasing over 650 modern and contemporary sculptures. The works are primarily situated outdoors, over a 2 mile woodland trail. There is also a smaller indoor gallery on-site at the park with more work available to view. Most of the collection is available to buy, and collectors travel from all corners of the globe all year round to view the unique and stunning collection of works. The collection is sited within ten acres of stunning arboretum and wildlife inhabited water gardens which have been developed with a series of landscaping projects and the introduction of thousands of new plants, bulbs and specimen trees.

Featuring The Wonder Women brunch

From the recent uncovering of abuse in Hollywood to the discussion of the gender pay gap, women are still fighting for support and an equal voice. Much like the suffragette movement, this is a time of empowerment and a movement for change. Located in the heart of the City, The Sybarite joined other fabulous industry women in the Garden Room at the private members, Devonshire Club, for the Wonder Women Brunch. Hosted by Tamara Gillan CEO of Cherry London, together with Stylist Editor-in-Chief Lisa Smosarski, an impressive panel of women, each successful in the respective fields, assembled to demonstrate how conversation can be transformed to purposeful action. Arriving to a sea of 100 successful and very glamorous women, I must say, I was a ball of excitement and a little intimidated all at the same time. However, with a glass of champagne in hand and inspirational women all around, the panel were greeted by standing room only.

Review of Hop to the theatre this Easter and enter the magical...

We often read about naughty Peter Rabbit before bed, so when I heard that ‘Where is Peter Rabbit?’ was coming to the Theatre Royal Haymarket I rushed to book tickets.   A theatre-lover at the age of just 4, my little one was enthralled from the start as the stage came alive with the recognisable characters from the books. From Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle to Mr. Tod, animals are expertly anthropomorphised through puppets by the cast whose control over the puppets, while adding individual quirks, draw out every part of the characters, entertaining adults and children alike. The short stories are presented one-by-one, with the audience able to enjoy the tales of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, Mr.Tod, Jemima Puddle-Duck and of course Peter Rabbit come to life on stage. It brought tears to my eyes as I watched my son totally captivated by the magic that was happening on stage.  With Miriam Margolyes narrating the stories of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle and Jemima Puddle-Duck, and Griff Rhys-Jones lending his voice to tales of Peter Rabbit and Jeremy Fisher, the musical adventure was provided with a friendly personality and plenty of dimension.

Review of Heartwarming and Unashamedly British - Calendar Girls Review

When the curtain rises we are introduced to the hustle and bustle of the small Yorkshire village, as teenagers run to get the school bus, which is stuck behind a flower lorry from Amsterdam. Arriving through the gate and making their way across stage, the intertwining lives of the rural community thrives as characters laugh and greet their neighbours. There can’t be many people who aren’t familiar with this upbeat, true story about a group of Yorkshire WI members who posed for a nude calendar in aid of a memorial for a friend who had died of cancer and just like the film, the musical features a sizeable cast of well-known faces including Ruth Madoc as Jessie, Sara Crowe as Ruth, Denise Welch as Celia and the brilliant Fern Britton, who returns to the stage for the first time in 30 years as Marie. (I personally still miss seeing her on my TV each morning.)

Haute Couture SS19 highlights

Featuring Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N - The perfect day out for Marvel fans

Last weekend we took our very excited little boy to London Excel, where Marvel have unveiled their latest interactive exhibition. After a brief video introduction and a security scan from Maria Hill, we were invited to enter the S.T.A.T.I.O.N, an advanced training facility for S.H.I.E.L.D’s ace team of agents. Zachary was rather overwhelmed when we first entered and he found himself face to face with the Hulkbuster! So when he got to don Iron Man’s Hulkbuster armour in a very cool and active VR experience he was super excited. As we moved through the rooms he enjoyed the great activities on offer, including various touchscreen games. Highlights for the family also included the massive moving image of Hulk and Captain America’s motorbike from the opening scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron which you could hop on and pretend to ride.

Featuring Stick Man – a must for young theatre goers

At the age of just 2 he sat through an entire performance of The Lion King and ever since then, whenever we tell him we have booked tickets to see a show, he gets very excited. Now 3 and a half years old, he has grown up reading and listening to Julia Donaldson stories and has seen many adaptations of the books at the theatre. So, when I found out Stick Man was back on stage, I couldn’t wait to take him. With his little sister of 6 months in tow (we are starting her young) we headed to Leicester Square Theatre. I love this theatre for children's shows as it is especially intimate, and this really helps the children engage with what they are watching. The story follows Stick Man, who after going for a jog one morning, encounters a bounding dog who wants to play fetch. This sparks a series of unfortunate adventures, which leads him far from home. As the seasons pass Stick Man meets a surprising friend who helps him to the family tree.