Artist: Indra Persad Milowe
Medium: multicolored & gold acrylic paints on canvas
Dimensions: 12 x 12 in.
Year of creation: 2024
Artist Statement: Adejoké “Joké” Bakare, Michelin star chef. Growing up in Nigeria as the oldest sibling, Adejoké “Joké” Bakare was usually the one cooking for the family. When she moved to the UK to study microbiology, around 20 years ago, she took her love for cooking with her. Her restaurant Chishuru, in central London, was awarded a Michelin star in February, 2024, making Bakare the first Black woman chef in the UK to earn the accolade. In the West African language of Hausa, Chishuru means “the silence that descends on the table when the food arrives,” according to Bakare. Chishuru offers diners a spectrum of flavors from West Africa based on the food that Bakare knew and loved growing up. Her mother and fatherare from the Yoruba and Igbo ethnic groups. Bakare grew up in a Hausa ethnic region. So, she fuses these different cooking styles together and creates new recipes.