The exhibition, taking place during Singapore Art Week 2024, comprises painting, photography, sculpture, moving image, textile, installation, and performance by 100 internationally acclaimed artists from the African and Asian continents and diasporas. This is the first large-scale exhibition dedicated to the vibrant and interconnected narratives of these demographics to be held in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

At its core, Translations: Afro-Asian Poetics celebrates the inherent commonalities between the two cultures, transcending geographical and colour divides by emphasising shared experiences, trials and tribulations, spiritual practices, and more.

“We seek to illuminate the threads that weave us together as people, transcending linguistic and cultural barriers,” explains Whitley, “Singapore, with its rich tapestry of cultures and identities, serves as an ideal platform to celebrate and amplify these connections.”

By alighting on poetics, Translations proposes synergies and affinities across the artists featured in the exhibition and beyond, and acts as a continuation to the interconnectedness of Afro Asia and its peoples.

The exhibition, which draws from esteemed private collections across the region, includes work by artists including Theaster Gates, Ai Weiwei, Amoako Boafo, El Anatsui, Nick Cave, Sonia Boyce DBE RA, Igshaan Adams, Nicholas Hlobo, Tyler Mitchell and Zanele Muholi.

Poswa’s work is named after the powerful Mangbetu queen, Nenzima, from the Congo. Female members of the Mangbetu wore a hairstyle called Edamburu, which consisted of a thin braid woven into a circular, infolding crown. Queen Nenzima, Mangbetu was originally part of Poswa's 2022 solo exhibition, uBuhle boKhokho.