Benin Bronze-Making Fellowship
New York, NY — The Restitution Study Group (RSG), a New York-based 501(c)(3) slavery reparatory justice institute, is proud to announce the launch of the Benin Kingdom Museum Bronze Making Fellowship Program—a groundbreaking initiative to preserve and educate about the artistry and historical legacy of Benin Kingdom bronze making, rooted in the transatlantic slave trade. Five Afrodescendants (descendants of enslaved Africans) have been selected for the inaugural cohort of fellows to receive expert instruction from Foundry Specialist Professor Blake Hiltunen (Pratt Institute). The program combines traditional craftsmanship with a powerful cultural narrative, bridging continents and histories.
The inaugural fellows, all artists, are:
Jirah Joshua (African American–Native American), participating from London
Donna Lindo (Jamaican)
Joel Newman (Haitian)
Sabina Paellmann (African American–German)
Antonio Isuperio Pereira, Jr. (Brazilian)
Four fellows will participate in hands-on classes at a studio in Brooklyn, New York, while one fellow will work independently from London, where he is developing a related performance art piece. Over the course of the program, fellows will create individual Benin bronze-inspired works and collaborate on a replica Benin bronze head. The works will join the permanent collection of the planned Benin Kingdom Museum in Harlem—the first in a global franchise for cultural education and sustainable development.
The program was made possible by a reparations payment from the heir of an enslaver who built wealth on the backs of kidnapped and trafficked African people. Esther Xosei, the RSG UK mobilizer who helped negotiate the agreement, said:
“We applaud the contributor for taking responsibility to atone for the crime against humanity committed by their ancestors. This effort aims to take tangible steps toward repairing and healing from the injury of genocide—particularly ethnocide, the destruction of our African identities, which is often overlooked in the struggle for reparatory justice.”
Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, Executive Director of the Restitution Study Group, remarked on the program’s cultural and historical significance:
“This fellowship is a monumental step in reuniting the descendants of Benin Kingdom captives with the traditions and artistry their ancestors paid for with their lives.”
Through a partnership with a prominent museum, the fellows will gain access to scan original Benin bronzes for their studies. Thanks to RSG’s advocacy, several other world museums now acknowledge the slave trade origins of the Benin bronzes. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, these relics were crafted using manilla currency, valued at 50 manillas for a female and 57 for a male. The Benin Kingdom Museum will specialize in unveiling this hidden truth and provide DNA testing and cultural education for Afrodescendants to reconnect with their African ancestry.
The program kicks off with an opening session on Saturday, January 11, 2025. Hands-on instruction begins January 18 at a Brooklyn studio and continues over several weekends.
The works created in the fellowship program will tour globally in Benin Kingdom Museum pop-up exhibits, including performance art and video installations. The tour will also feature the Cannes 2023 Cellphone Cinema Showcase Award-winning documentary:
They Belong to All of Us — The Benin Bronze Slave Trade Story: https://videopress.com/v/TXOq2GdB
To book an interview or pop-up exhibit, or to make a tax-deductible donation to support the work of the RSG, contact:
Deadria Farmer-Paellmann
Executive Director
Restitution Study Group
Email: rsgincorp1@gmail.com
Phone: 917-365-3007
The Benin Kingdom Museum is a project of the Afrodescendant Trust Fund: www.theADTF.com