Ayana V. Jackson, Founder, STILL Artist Residency
Ayana V. Jackson (b. New Jersey, USA), lives and works between New York and Johannesburg. Through performative embodiment, Jackson restages archival images, reconfiguring narratives of the African Diaspora. Her lens-based practice interrogates 19th- and 20th-century portraiture to deconstruct the colonial gaze and its role in shaping racialized and gendered identities. Her work is held in collections across the globe, with highlights including the Smithsonian Institution, M.F.A. Boston, and Madrid’s Museo Arqueologico Nacional.
STILL Artist Residency, founded by Ayana V. Jackson, is a Johannesburg-based artist residency programme focused on providing support for primary caregiving, LGBTQIA+, and SADC artists. STILL offers studio, financial, and production assistance to its artists while also supporting their critical and professional development by facilitating regular studio visits and local exhibition opportunities. Through collaborations with curators, local institutions, and peers, STILL aims to foster artistic innovation, critical exchange, and community engagement across local and transnational contexts.
Website: https://www.stillartistresidency.org/
Website: https://ayanavjackson.com/
Email: reshavan@stillartistresidency.org
Instagram: @stillartistresidency
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- STILL seeks to engage meaningfully with the broader South African art ecosystem through sustained dialogue and collaborative activation. Pictured here are Thania Petersen, Haroon Gunn-Salie, and Yasser Booley alongside STILL board member Lauren Tate Baeza during On Memory and Place, a programme activation presented at the 2025 Investec Cape Town Art Fair.
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- STILL supports artists across disciplines by providing the conditions for focused making and material exploration. Ananias Roberts (2021 Artist-In-Residence) at work in the studio, underscoring the residency’s commitment to enabling hands-on production while holding space for the broader rhythms of artistic process.
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- While in Johannesburg, Artists-in-Residence are encouraged to engage with the broader South African arts infrastructure as part of their research and production process. Pictured here is Emmanuel Koto 2025 Artist-in-Residence at Lightfarm.
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- STILL maintains ongoing relationships with local artists, often engaging them as Creative Collaborators to support our Artists-In-Residence and broader programming. Pictured here are Mthabisi Sithole, Moyo Oyelola (2024 Friend of STILL), and Mamma Sibiya, reflecting the collaborative networks that underpin the residency’s day-to-day and conceptual operations.
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- Whilst maintaining our focus on SADC artists, and in preparation for our first international Artist-In-Residence, we opened our doors to the broader diaspora by piloting Alabama mixed-media artist Erin Leann Mitchell (2023 Artist-In-Residence), seen here during her site-specific presentation. Photo credit: Linkdokuhle Ndlovu
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- As a core tenet of the Residency, STILL regularly invites art world stakeholders to directly engage with our Artists-In-Residence. Pictured here Wunika Mukan visits Phumzile Khanyile’s (2021 Artist-In-Residence) open studio, reflecting the residency’s commitment to fostering dialogue between artists and the broader cultural field.
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- 24-hour access to STILL’s 3,000 sq. ft. live/work studios allow Artists-In-Residence to prioritise their ability to determine when to work, rest, and return to the studio as their practice requires. This flexibility supports sustained, self-directed artistic production over time. Pictured here is Emmanuel Koto (2025 Artist-in-Residence) at work in the studio.
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- STILL creates opportunities for the broader art public to engage directly with Artists-In-Residence throughout the residency period through curated studio visits. These moments include artists presenting and speaking about their work in person, fostering dialogue with invited guests within the studio environment. Phumzile Khanyile (2021 Artist-In-Residence) discussing her work with a guest during her open studio.
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- STILL regularly engages in collaborative partnerships with fellow arts organisations to foster exchange across contexts. In 2026 we initiated our year-long collaboration with Global Linkages, introducing guests to the local arts ecosystem through studio visits at Ellis House Art Building. Pictured here is Senzeni Marasela (2023 Artist-In-Residence) discussing her practice with a Global Linkages group.
HOW TO REACH US
The African Art in Venice Forum is held at the Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco 1332, 30124 Venezia (entrance from Calle Vallaresso).
Reception: Sala Oppio
AAVF Foyer: Sala Vallaresso - AAVF Auditorium: Sala Corte.
The staircase from the hall on the ground floor will bring you to our Reception in Sala Oppio. The African Art in Venice Team will welcome you there.
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