7 Questions with Larry Ossei-Mensah

Dexter Wimberly interviews Larry Ossei-Mensah, independent curator, and Hayama Artist Residency 2024 Selection Committee Member.

1) What’s the most exciting part of your work as an independent curator?

The best part of being an independent curator is the opportunity to cultivate relationships with artists, galleries, museums, and other curators.  I'm self-taught as a curator, so I always seek opportunities to learn from my colleagues and collaborators, even after fifteen years of professional work. I'm always excited about the exchange via conversation and exhibition.

2) How do you stay inspired and motivated?

I stay inspired by traveling to see exhibitions all over the globe when I can. As I respond, I'm in Paris and saw some great exhibitions from folks like Henry Taylor and Ludovic Nkoth. I use these trips as a chance to study and observe how other friends approach their respective practices. But at the core of my work is putting the artists first. My relationships with the artists and being an advocate for their work keep me jazzed up, too. 

3) You travel internationally for work. What are some of the unexpected art scenes you’ve experienced in the past couple of years?

I'm never surprised. For me, art is everywhere, and it is the act of discovering new voices and perspectives that make a trip to every city/country worthwhile. No one region's artistic expression is absolute, so that is why I remain open to all the possibilities regardless of where they are from. 

4) How do you identify emerging artists that you want or work with, and what are some of the characteristics you’re looking for?

When engaging with artists, I'm looking for artists who put their soul into their work. Moreover, do these artists possess a point of view that feels fresh and unencumbered by trying to fit in with the status quo? Those are the two fundamental criteria that I look for in an artist.

5) What are a couple of misconceptions people have about working in the art world?

One misconception about the art world is that this business is all champagne and good times. The work that many of us do is rigorous and labor-intensive.  To have success hinges on your capacity to deliver consistently and at a high level. Moreover, it takes discipline not to let the glitz and glamour get in the way of the true mission. 

6) Besides curating, what are some of the other things you enjoy doing with your time?

Besides curating, I like traveling, cooking, and making ceramic works for friends for fun. I'm down to try any outlet that allows me to create and lends itself to moments of meditation and reflection.

7) What’s a recent  exhibition you saw that had a profound impact on you?

Derek Fordjour's "Score" at Petzel in New York City and Raphaël Barontini’s "We Could Be Heroes" at the Pantheon in Paris. Both exhibitions are rigorous, layered, and truly innovative in their approaches to their exhibitions to heights beyond our imaginations.