Ep.18 Bahati Simones

BAHATI SIMOENS

South Africa does feel like this is what the world is supposed to look like, instead of European countries where it’s mostly white people or other African countries where it’s mostly black people—Bahati Simoens.

My first ever conversation with Bahati Simoens is pretty much dominated by laughter, many moments where we paused to gather our thoughts, and some very good moments of punchlines or gems like the one above. We are both introverted, a bit quirky, and we love what we do.

Enjoy episode 18 of Stories By Artists, proudly brought to you by the Studio Nxumalo Podcast. 

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Bahati is an independent Belgian-Congolese artist, born in Munanira (Burundi, 1992). Currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

She describes her work to be a love letter to the Black body. Her practice is heavily inspired by everyday living through softness and a warm demeanor. As Bahati’s practice started as a form of self therapy, searching for a sense of home. She now holds up the mirror to her audience, creating through a playful lens of her own sense of belonging.

The aim is to make Black people feel seen and leave them with a feeling they themselves didn’t know was missing within.

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Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts | Images supplied by Bahati Simoens.