Tschabalala Self (pictured above)
Painter, Harlem
Congrats on your first solo booth at the Armory.
I went earlier today to make sure everything was installed properly. We’ve been working on a model for the booth for months, so I was amazed at how closely it looked like the model, just life size. The installation process is almost like an art form — it’s a creative practice. It’s amazing to see all the preparators lifting and installing and all their lighting techniques.
Have you been making art your whole life?
Since I was really young. My four siblings are all much older than me, so I liked games where you didn’t have to have someone to play with. Drawing was something you could do alone, which was perfect.
And I see that your fiancé, Mike Mosby, is the DJ tonight.
That’s one of the reasons I came. It’s one of his hobbies, and he’s really good at it. I’ve been the DJ groupie for years now, but now I’m the DJ groupie-fiancée, a slightly more elevated title.
Eric Booker
Associate curator, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Susan Magrino
PR-firm chairman and CEO, Upper East Side
Christine Messineo
Art-fair director, Greenwich, Connecticut
Any interests aside from art?
I have a 4-year-old. My life involves playgrounds and chicken nuggets. I’m also a Bluey fan, and I’m a big fan of pirates right now. Blackbeard, specifically. I’ve learned more about Blackbeard in the past few months than anything else.
Renuka Sawhney
Nonprofit associate director, Jersey City, New Jersey
Demetrio “Dee” Kerrison
Wealth manager, Newport Beach, California
Do you visit New York often?
I’ve been here at least three times this month. I swear I know more about New York than my friends who live here do. I know all the hot restaurants, even the hacks. Like, most people are afraid to go to Le Bernardin because you could spend $800. But they have a lunch menu in the lounge and for a hundred bucks per person, you can have an amazing meal.
Rubeen Salem
Painter, Lower East Side
K. O. Nnamdie
Curator, adviser, and writer, Soho
Cynthia Rowley
Fashion designer, West Village
Maria Friedrich
Art-advisory-service co-founder, Westchester
Storm Ascher
Curator and gallerist, Peter Cooper Village
Roze Traore
Chef and entrepreneur, Harlem
Dr. Ngozi Etufugh
Oral surgeon, Central Park South
Tell me about your outfit.
The jacket is by Joseph. I decided to really elevate it by using the shin guards from Gucci. The creepers and the necklace are Chanel, of course. And I opted not to wear a hat. I had a minor closet attack figuring out what to wear after work today. But actually, when I have that pressure to put something on, that’s when I rise to the occasion.
Maty Sall
Art dealer and curator, Meatpacking District
Brandon Blackwood
CEO and fashion designer, Fort Greene
What was the first piece of art you bought?
Well, the first two things I ever bought — and this was at the same time — were a Keith Haring and a Picasso. I kind of skipped the crawl-before-you-walk phase. People are going to think I’m horrible: I don’t remember the actual prices of them, but I got my bill for both and it was in the higher six figures.
Judy Chang
Art adviser, Upper West Side
Kyla McMillan
Art-show director, Bedford-Stuyvesant
Oliver Furth
Interior designer, Chelsea
Kilo Kish
Interdisciplinary artist and musician, Los Angeles
What kind of art do you have at home?
I have museum posters everywhere. I like the way they look because I love fonts. I love a Grotesk Helvetica–esque font. But when I write my own songs, I use Courier New or other monospaced fonts.
Photographs by Frankie Alduino
