We are exceedingly pleased to announce Tito Valery’s arrival as the first AR-Resident at Wysing Arts Centre, in the vicinity of Cambridge, UK. Tito Valery is a internationally renowned radio, TV and media personality, as well as a photographer and political activist. Wysing Arts Centre will be hosting Valery from May through July, 2018.
Born CHIFOR C. VALERY, « Tito » is a Cameroonian activist, photographer and media personality from the anglophone city of Bamenda (North West). After studying law at the University of Buea, he begun his career as a radio DJ with a focus on hip-hop. In 2004, he began writing and hosting « The Break » on STV (Spectrum Television), the first show on Cameroonian television focussed on urban contemporary art. After six years on the show, he moved towards photography, opening his first solo exhibition ( Poe’Traits the poetry or portraits) at the controversial radical K-Factory gallery in 2010.
By 2014, Valery was an alumni of « Asiko », Olabisi Silva’s CCA-Lagos powered curatorial project. Valery was invited by « Collectif Nord » to exhibit at the Dak’Art Biennale in 2014, where his « Hands » series addressed the setbacks and « handicaps » of artists from the Anglophone minority in Cameroon. Valery also worked as a correspondent for the BBC World Service « Arts Hour » radio programme from 2014-2015.
It’s been busy since – from playing legendary Harlem clubs in NYC to programming the Cameroon-focus and hosting the daily crossover radio show « Me and My Circumstances » at documenta14 Radio/Deutschlandfunk in 2017.
Tito Valery is an activist on anglophone/francophone issues, and writes regularly about the oppressive situation of young anglophone Cameroonian artists, and the current tensions more generally.
Receiving Jean Pierre Bekolo, Activist and Cannes-nominated film director, on the political situation in Cameroon.
Valery with Valsero Activist rapper/author of the game-changing track « Lettre au Président » (letter to the president).
Talk on spoken-word poetry and writing as an art form and tool of resistance to oppression @IYA art space buea, South West Province, May 2017.
Poster made calling for the liberation of now banned « Consortium » leader , barrister Agbor Nkongho. This poster was shared over 15k times on Faceboo
Some photographic works by Tito Valery
Heritage, from the exhibition « Northern Survivors ». Monochrome, 1/2015.
Fill the feeling from the 3-photo series ‘Flow’ shown at the RAVY festival YDE. Monochrome, 5/2016.
Lineage from the Portrait series « Ordinary Stars ». Monochrome, 7/2016.
IYA (Mother) from the exhibition « Northern Survivors ». Monochrome, 2/2015.
Tito Valery is an Artists at Risk (AR)-Resident, hosted in cooperation with AR-Wysing Arts Centre. The AR-Network is curated by Perpetuum Mobile (PM) and is coordinated by the AR-Secretariat, co-funded by Kone Foundation. This residency is funded by Arts Council England.
