HOME 24: Olana Janfa: Too Much Drama

Exhibition Dates 2 July - 6 September 2024

Too Much Drama was a site-responsive project by Ethiopian-Norwegian, Naarm-based artist Olana Janfa.

Combining bold images and political statements with lightness, dry humour and vivid colours and tones, the exhibition brought together old and new works by Olana, displayed across Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre and Settlers Square.

Harmony (2024), a public art commission, transformed the square near Dandenong train station with lively figures that invited reflection. Inside the gallery, his bold vignettes, inspired by Ethiopian iconography, celebrated diversity and highlighted the challenges of migration with phrases like "grateful immigrant" and "the new black."

The exhibition also featured a mural, Little Africa, in Gallery One, a product of Olana’s collaboration with Dandenong-based RIDDIM studio, depicting the sense of belonging fostered by art and culture. In the lead-up to the exhibition, RIDDIM hosted a pop-up studio, teaching DJ skills to community members.

Gallery Two showcased The RIDDIM Journey, a photo series documenting the studio’s evolution, while Olana’s single Skillful Man provided a soundtrack to the exhibition, alongside sound bites curated by RIDDIM.

Olana Janfa: Too Much Drama was part of the City of Greater Dandenong’s HOME program, which highlights the work of refugee and asylum seeker artists. Collaborators included RIDDIM, Afro Cafe, the podcast Being Biracial, and the Drum Theatre’s Our Beat program.
 

Banner image credit: Olana Janfa in Settlers Square, posing with Harmony mural. Photo: Vivian Nilan
Banner image credit: Olana Janfa at Walker Street Gallery and Arts Centre, posing with Little Africa, Photo: Nick Addison