Artist Development with Victor Ehikhamenor: 6 participants selected

Blacktown Arts is thrilled to announce the participants selected for the Artist Development with Victor Ehikhamenor program.  

The 6 creatives will take part in 4 in-person sessions with Nigerian-American artist Victor Ehikhamenor an cultural consultant Fungai Mutsiwa of AfriKaleidoscope.

Through these sessions, participants will exchange knowledge, ideas and creative practices, while building connections and engaging in learning and personal development. 

The 6 creatives selected are: 

Steph Martei  
Emmanuel Asante 
Bruce Koussaba 
Paul Matekere 
Attu Ngor 
Fabian Odame   

Learn about the artist cohort below.

Steph Martei 

Steph Martei is a western Sydney-based multidisciplinary visual artist whose practice centres on vibrant portraiture and visual storytelling. Working across traditional and digital mediums, her work explores identity, representation, culture and empowerment, celebrating people and communities often overlooked in mainstream narratives.

Inspired by graphic novels, animation and her own experiences of representation, Steph uses art to create space for people to be seen, celebrated and unapologetically themselves. 

You can find Steph on Instagram here

Emmanuel Asante

Emmanuel Asante is a young western Sydney artist from Ghana in West Africa, arriving in Australia in 2015. Emmanuel is highly influence by his culture, Frida Kahlo and his artist-mentor Abdul Abdullah. Self-taught, Emmanuel commenced painting and drawing to deal with depression and personal experiences.

He is a recent recipient of the 2019 Youth Achievement Award in Creative Arts, and was featured in the story ‘Behind every number is a student’, published in the The Age newspaper. 

You can find Emmanuel on Instagram here

Bruce Koussaba 

Bruce Koussaba is a filmmaker and writer based in Sydney on unceded Gadigal and Wangal Lands of the Eora Nation. His involvement in cinema extends into criticism, festival work, programming, introductions, and writing-directing.

He is currently an organiser for the grassroots community film program Liberation Cinema and an editor for the independent online film magazine Nosebleed. 

You can find Bruce on Instagram here

Paul Matekere 

Paul Pinga Matereke, born 1994, Zimbabwe, is a contemporary photographer and filmmaker based in Sydney. He chronicles the nuances of daily life by photographing the city streets in search of poetic imagery hidden in plain sight.

Paul’s commitment to his craft also extends to the meticulous process of developing black and white negatives and producing darkroom prints. His film work has been commissioned by Runway Journal, Antenna Documentary Film Festival, Flickerfest Film Festival and exhibited at Alpha House Gallery. 

You can find Paul on Instagram here

Attu Ngor 

Attu is an emerging DJ and radio host in the Eora music scene that redefines the boundaries of sound by weaving together Afro and tribal rhythms, vogue, drum and bass, hip hop, electronica and techno. She crafts together a powerful sound that reflects her boundless exploration of music.

For Attu, music is a universal language without any limits, a means of connection that transcends genres. 

You can find Attu on Instagram here

Fabian Odame 

 FRIDAY* is a popstar born and bred in Sydney’s West, on a mission to broadcast his sounds to the world. His work blends R&B, alternative, dance and electronica into a product that can only be described as Afro-Futurist in nature.

His most recent project rituals, 2026, is the culmination of a journey started with his debut EP Darling, 2023, a journey filled with standout live concert moments including Laneway Sydney & Vivid LIVE, support for artists such as Paris Texas and 1300, and embraces from both community (FBi, 2ser) as well as national (Triple J, CADA) radio. 

You can find Fabian on Instagram here

Cultural Consultant
Fungai Mutsiwa on behalf of AfriKaleidoscope 

Fungai Mutsiwa is the Founder and Creative Director of AfriKaleidoscope, an independent curatorial and cultural production platform focused on African and diasporic artistic expression, based in Sydney. Originally from Zimbabwe, he approaches his curatorial work from an African-centred perspective, treating African knowledge systems as primary frameworks rather than material filtered through dominant Western lenses.

He has delivered prior Sydney productions including The.Harlem.Project at 107 Projects, Redfern in 2023, Eternal Echoes: Rediscovering Ancient African Worlds at Flow Studios, 2024, and culdesac, culdesac, culdesac at Parramatta Town Hall, 2025. He is a 2026 Board Observer at Performing Lines.

You can find AfriKaleidoscope on Instagram here

Community Partner: MECA 

MECA has been at the forefront of creating a connected, inclusive, and thriving community for 35 years. Serving culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Western Sydney, MECA is dedicated to tackling poverty, fostering resilience, and enabling individuals, families, and communities to achieve sustainable, positive outcomes.

At MECA, we believe in the power of community, in the potential of individuals, and in the transformative impact we can create together. We are more than just an organisation; we are a family, a network of support, and a force for positive change. 

Our dedicated team, made up of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds, is united by a common purpose: to empower, inspire, and uplift. We are here to listen, learn, and work alongside you, and our community, to build a brighter future for all. 

You can find MECA on Instagram here

Victor Ehikhamenor: Undoing the City, Making Home is co-produced by the Chau Chak Wing Museum, The University of Sydney, and Blacktown Arts and Blacktown City Council.

This project has been supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW, and by the Vere Gordon Childe Centre, The University of Sydney. 

It has been supported by the Collaborative Media Advocacy Platform and Chicoco Media, who provided essential background research, visual archives, and soundscapes.