Art & Culture

Inside Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye’s Art Exhibition “Crashing the Glass Slippers”

10 October

I love how Ntiense brings everything together – the clothes, the drawings, the performances, the photographs. It’s like she’s created this completely new language for talking about who we are and who we could be.

Sitting here thinking about her upcoming show at Chapter gallery in Cardiff, I can’t help but feel excited about what she’s about to unleash on the world. This October 26, Ntiense Eno-Amooquaye will present her largest solo exhibition yet, and honestly? It feels like stumbling upon a secret that’s too good to keep.

Attendees will be immersed in a room filled with the most incredible handmade clothes they’ve ever seen. We’re not talking regular fashion here – these are pieces that blur the line between clothing and art. Dresses, capes, and suits that look like they’ve been dreamed up in some wonderful in-between place where high fashion meets pure imagination, referencing historic costume and avant-garde couture. Each piece will be covered in Ntiense’s own colourful drawings, turning them into wearable masterpieces.

But here’s what makes it really special – Ntiense doesn’t just create these pieces to hang on walls. She brings them to life, wearing them herself in a series of photographs and performances that will stop you in your tracks. It’s intimate, bold, and completely mesmerising. As one observer puts it,“Worn and embodied by her in a striking series of photographic self-portraits and filmed performances, they become portals of transformation.” There’s something almost magical about watching an artist step into their own work like that, particularly in a way where text, spoken word, and imagery collide to create a space for reimagining self-hood.

The exhibition, called “Crashing the Glass Slippers,” couldn’t have come at a better time. Fresh off winning the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award last year (which is a pretty big deal) and following an incredible show, “African Bird Dynasty,” at White Columns in New York, Ntiense is clearly on fire right now. She’s been making an impact for years as part of London’s Intoart collective, showing her work everywhere from the Whitechapel Gallery to museums in Belgium, but this show feels different – bigger, bolder, more personal.

What really stands out about Ntiense’s practice is her connection to Intoart, a London-based collective established in 2000, which is driven by the creative ambitions of learning-disabled and autistic individuals. Ntiense’s work not only exemplifies the collective’s desire to push boundaries and challenge perceptions but also shows her interest in inclusivity and innovation. By combining different mediums—from textiles to photography, to performance to drawing—she crafts a rich, layered experience that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

That title though – “Crashing the Glass Slippers” – it gets me every time. It’s like she’s taking all our familiar fairy tales and smashing them into something new, real and exciting. Through her lens, even the most everyday things – a dress, a photograph, a self-portrait – become doorways to somewhere else entirely.

Opening night on October 26th is going to be extra special because Ntiense herself will be there. If her previous shows are anything to go by, this exhibition at Chapter is going to be one of those memorable moments in the art space – when an artist at the height of their powers shows us a new way of seeing ourselves and the world around us.