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Njideka Akunyili Crosby in "Realms of the Real"Season 12
Version without descriptive audio available here.
In a bright and spacious studio, artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby is surrounded by photographs and ephemera from her youth in Nigeria, reflecting on her current life in the United States while weaving the two worlds together in intricately layered paintings. In her work, Akunyili Crosby crafts a “third-space”–a dynamic melding of distinct cultures and geographies–through her signature blending of painting, drawing, and photographic transfer. Drawing from her personal archive, the artist calls attention to the small details that comprise our lives and identities, from a popular fabric pattern to specific plant species to an iconic album cover or children’s book, giving diasporic experiences a complex and joyful expression. Moving fluidly between memory and the present, this documentary short tracks the personal and creative development of an artist who has found her footing between cultures and mediums. “How do I bring myself into this tradition? How do I use this tradition to talk about the things that interest me?” says the artist. “It’s hard to label, but that’s intentional for me.”
This film was directed by Stephanie Wang-Breal, produced by Nan Sandle, edited by Colin Nusbaum, and photographed by James Fideler.
Credits
Director: Stephanie Wang-Breal. Executive Producer: Tina Kukielski. Series Producer: Nick Ravich. Producer: Nan Sandle. Editor: Colin Nusbaum. Director of Photography: James Fideler. Associate Producer: Andrea Chung. Associate Curator: Jurrell Lewis. Design & Animation: Momentist, Inc. Composer: Andrew Orkin.
Assistant Camera: Cecelia Hubbard & Jake O’Connor. Gaffer & Electric: Pablo Lopez. Key Grip: Rishab Chandra. Location Sound: Sara Sandoval. Production Assistant: Evan Hamilton. Projectionist: Michael Allen.
Additional Art21 Staff: Makda Amdetsyon, Lauren Barnett, Hannah DeGarmo, Lolita Fierro, Ian Forster, Grace LeCates, Emma Nordin, Jessica Svenson, Noor Tamari, Nora Wimmer. Interns: Candice Cirilo, Emma Kanne, Billie Lam, Asante Marie Owusu-Brafi, Aarya Silwal, Maria Syville, Emilia Copeland Titus.
Post-Production Supervisors: Amelia Garner & Jennifer Wanamaker. Video Post-Production Service: Cut + Measure. Video Post-Production Producer: Alex Laviola. Colorist: Chris Ramey. Online & Conform: David Gauff. Post-Production Coordinator: Mary Grace Duffy. Audio Post-Production Service: Post Romantic. Re-Recording Mixer & Sound Editor: Gisela Fullà-Silvestre. Assistant Sound Editor: Dan Weisselberg. Audio Description & Captions: Sasha Hecht & Andre Kelman. Quality Control: Adam Stout. Narration: Louise Eliasof. Additional Music: Trey Toy. Additional Video Editor: Regina Spurlock. Visual Effects: Daniel de Graaf & Isaiah King. Visual Effects Artists: Logan Cuddemi & Mike Houston. Assistant Editors: Isabella Morelli Avilán, Stephanie Cen, Sarah Yi Fineman, Michelle Hanks.
Artwork Courtesy: Njideka Akunyili Crosby & David Zwirner Gallery.
Additional Music Courtesy: Belinda by Grady Harrell & Fred Wesley (ASCAP & BMI).
Legal Counsel: Donaldson Callif Perez.
Special Thanks: The Art21 Board of Trustees, Justin Crosby, Shaun Johnson, Andre Keichian, Sarah Mackenzie-Smith, Mike Richards.
Filming Locations Provided By: David Zwirner, Los Angeles & The Huntington.
Series Created By: Susan Dowling & Susan Sollins.
Original Production Funding Provided By: The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Agnes Gund, Melony and Adam Lewis, National Endowment for the Arts, Teiger Foundation, Sarah Arison, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Dealer Tire, Arts, Equity, & Education Fund™, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Elyse and Lawrence B. Benenson, Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, Tim and Lauren Schrager Family Foundation.
This program is a production of Art21, Inc. which is solely responsible for its content.
© 2026 Art21, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Closed captionsAvailable in English, German, Romanian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian
Through the Art21 Translation Project, multilingual audiences from around the globe can contribute translations, making Art21 films more accessible worldwide.
Interested in showing this film in an exhibition or public screening? To license this video please visit Licensing & Reproduction.