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Ifátùmínínú Bámigbálà Arẹ̀sà is an interdisciplinary artist who works in textiles, performance and various artforms. Born and raised in New Orleans, Ifátùmínínú suppressed her creative side for a decade before moving to Tanzania where she was reborn. There, she directed A Thousand Needles, an award-winning film, co-founded a non-profit dedicated to creatives and traveled around the continent connecting with other artists.
Ifátùmínínú is an ordained and trained Traditional West Afrikan Ifá Priest who studies and apprentices at the Ifá-Òrìṣà Education & Development Academy founded by Olóyè Ìyánifá Ọlátúnjí-Arẹ̀sà & Olúwo Ọlátúnjí-Arẹ̀sà of Ìbàdànland, Oyo State, Nigeria & Louisiana, USA. As a result, everything that Ifátùmínínú does is Ancestrally led. Her art work is an extension of her spiritual work. She expresses herself and her identity through her Ancestors who guided her back to their spirituality, a spirituality that was intentionally vilified and hidden from her. Those same powerful Ancestors called her back to New Orleans to do work on their behalf. This includes preserving their culture. She recently answered the call to help carry on the Mardi Gras Indian masking tradition as Big Queen of the Beautiful Creole Apache.
Part of Ifátùmínínú’s Ancestor-led work is also to engage the public in the Greater New Orleans area in dialogue about the changing landscape and exploitation of post-Katrina New Orleans. She and Wendy Firven Smith co-curated and facilitated a panel series titled “How to Be a New Orleans Ally” with New Orleans Airlift. Since then, the two founded Changing Landscapes Consulting, a training and educational service that seeks to restore community trust by bringing awareness to the effects of the changing cultural landscape in the city.
Ifátùmínínú has also continued to collaborate with New Orleans Airlift. She recently co-curated and and directed a performance art piece called “Black New Orleans: A Lineage of Resistance” at the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans for their tenth anniversary.
Ifátùmínínú founded monthly meet up for melanated folks entitled “a BLACK creative’s guide” in which BLACK people convene in art institutions, take up space and have relaxed discourse about art from THEIR perspective.