Hi, my name's Debbie. I'm an independent writer, editor and curator based in London.
For almost 10 years, I have been fascinated by the relationship between art and language. This interest was first sparked while studying cubist and surrealist texts as part of my French and Italian degree. Later, I focussed on dissecting museum interpretation during my MA in Curating, and as Assistant Curator, Research & Interpretation at Tate Modern and Tate Britain.
I write about art in a range of formats and styles, covering everything from artist profiles and exhibition interpretation, to short stories and academic papers. My research focuses on speculative art interpretation, exploring the possibilities offered by fiction and playfulness when writing about art. As a result, much of my writing leans into emotion, anecdote and humour.
My writing has been published internationally, including by Hatje Cantz, Rizzoli, CURA, and Numéro Art. Fried Yam in the Museum, my article discussing art and communication through the lens of Igbo storytelling, is a set text on the Courtauld Institute of Art’s MA Curating programme.
As a curator, I've worked on exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery, Tate Modern, Somerset House and the Migration Museum. Highlights include the acclaimed exhibition In the Black Fantastic at the Hayward Gallery, and curating outdoor installations by Jyll Bradley and Souad Abdelrasoul also at the Hayward. I have also guest-curated The Conch at South London Gallery, and Within a Budding Grove at Pi Artworks, London.
I am the editor of Tate Dialogues: The 80s (2024) and co-editor of Jyll Bradley’s monograph Running and Returning (2025).
This website is a home for my more personal and experimental writing, as well as The Fried Yam Project which documents my research into speculative art interpretation.
I am open to commissions and collaborations. My contact details are at the bottom of this page.
↓
Features a transcript of my presentation 'Fried Yam in the Archive'.
A text to accompany Ashman's exhibition ‘Those that do not smile will kill me’: Decolonising Jamaican Flora. Read here
A text on Aqsa Arif's work for the Jerwood Survey III exhibition catalogue.
Published as the lead piece in the Courtauld's post-graduate journal. Read here.
A text looking at works by Lyle Ashton Harris, Trisha Brown, Sharon Hayes, and the Gee's Bend quiltmakers. Read here.
Texts on Imani Jacqueline Brown and Richard Mosse.
A text exploring Diaw's work with braided hair. Read here.
Published to accompany Jyll Bradley's major commission The Hop.
A text on Lindsey Mendick's work at Jeffrey Deitch, New York.
Texts on Liu Jianhua and Klara Kristalova.
A text on Somaya Critchlow's new paintings. Read here
A text on Mendick's recent work as part of CURA.'s Generational issue.
I led a workshop inspired by the exhibition ‘Glenn Ligon: All Over The Place’, exploring imaginative approaches to writing art interpretation.
As part of the Launch Pad LaB Artist Residency, I led studio visits with the three resident artists, Louise Beer, Anna Perach and Pilar Quinteros.
I spoke on a panel with Tori Tsui, Love Ssega and Anjali Raman-Middleton (Choked Up) about the role art can play in addressing the climate crisis.
I was invited to give a presentation, Fried yam in the archive, and participate in a panel discussion with Mariana Castillo Deball, Ato Jackson and Ella Mahalia Adu.
I chaired a panel discussion between filmmakers Jessica Ashman, Isabel Barfod, Mary Martins, Ezra Myers and Osbert Parker as part of the London International Animation Festival.
I spoke with Indie A. Choudhury, Lecturer of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art, about the cultural impact of decolonising art.
I moderated a conversation between artists Appau Jnr Boakye-Yiadom and Hardeep Pandhal as part of the programme of events for GENERATIONS at Somerset House.
Co-editor of Jyll Bradley's first monograph, published alongside her exhibition at The Box, Plymouth. Includes contributions from Adesola Akinleye, Nicoletta Lambertucci, Noreen Masud, Abi Palmer, Andrew Renton, Gemma Rolls-Bentley, Ralph Rugoff and Fatoş Üstek. Read more here.
Editor of Nkanga's photobook with essay by Isaac Huxtable. Read more here.
Editor of this short publication released alongside Tate Britain's The 80s photography exhibition. Includes contributions from John Akomfrah, Dalia Al-Dujaili, Joy Gregory, Isaac Rangaswami and Bindi Vora. Read more here.