Welcome to Shade Art Review the bi-weekly arts and culture magazine, created by the award winning audio producer, Lou Mensah.
Join the community of art curious readers and listeners, discovering the work of global majority artists.
Hey, I’m Lou founder of Shade Media, a space for our artists and creative practitioners to talk about their work in their own way.
As a subscriber you’ll access curated listings, artist spotlight features, access to my sound archives which are no longer available to the public, my comment pieces and regular guest reviews from arts writer Dale Berning Sawa (the Guardian, Art Newspaper).
I’m a British Ghanian audio producer, host and a visiting lecturer at Central St. Martins University. I currently live in the suburbs (although I crave a move to the coast). I home educate my daughter.
My first audio venture, the critically acclaimed Shade Podcast, has run for 12 seasons and featured interviews with artists, critics, writers and visionaries including John Akomfrah, Amy Sherald and Ekow Eshun. Shade Art Review, which debuted in September 2023, is my biweekly arts and culture mag, published here on Substack.
Since 2019 Shade has since expanded into creating podcasts and audio works for clients including the British Council, Hauser and Wirth, Frieze, Tate, Bloomberg Connects, Iniva, Freelands Foundation, The Runnymede Trust and South London Gallery. Shade has collaborated with artists including Liz Johnson Artur, Ming Smith and Phoebe Boswell on installations and recordings.
I have been named Producer of the Year by the UK Audio Network, Best Art Podcast in the British Podcast Awards and Most Loved Podcast by Apple Podcasts.
Read I’m a Black Creative Leaving Instagram.
How this newsletter works :
To get the most out of Shade Art Review sign up to be a paying supporter (for around 83 pence weekly, less than a coffee!)
As a paid subscriber every other Sunday you’ll receive one of the following:
an artist spotlight feature
Shade Monthly - your bumper edition of art listings (things to read, watch, listen to and visit)
Lou’s comment or review
a written and condensed version of an archived podcast conversation
In addition you will gain access to:
the Gaza document
access to the Shade Podcast archives - available to subscribers only. Over 30 episodes which are no longer publicly available
access to all archived posts
Dale Berning Sawa’s exhibition reviews
Founding Members choose either: 30 mins workplace consult or 30 mins ‘pick my brains’ session (on art, audio, home education)
Subscriber posts will go directly into your inbox (please check spam)
..lastly, follow my work here
Shade Podcast listen here
Website here
Instagram (currently for work updates only) view here
