360 ̊ Me: Rujeko Hockley

‘I come back to the sci-fi writer Octavia Butler time and again. She was beyond prescient – almost eerily so. Her books predict the uncertain and precarious times we are living through, but they are also full of hope and offer ways forward. Parable Of The Sower is one of my favourites, but they’re all perfection.’

 

‘In our house [Hockley is married to the artist Hank Willis Thomas], we love soca music, which comes from Trinidad and Tobago, but incorporates influences from all over the world. Soca star Machel Montano’s “Cheers To Life” is a song we have played over and over, including at our wedding, throughout my recent pregnancy and anytime we need a boost.’ 

‘Naima Ramos-Chapman is a filmmaker (and writer, actor, editor and dancer) to watch – check out her short film Piu Piu. Her creativity, work ethic and commitment to telling fully realised, empathically rendered stories of black and brown life in the Americas are unparalleled.’

‘I’m working on a mid-career survey of Julie Mehretu’s work right now. Over the last 25 years she’s been so dedicated. Her interests are vast and wide-ranging, so her paintings touch on nearly every important issue of our times. “Apropos” and “Hineni (E. 3:4)” are two of my favourites.’

‘I love prints, I love colour and I love a memorable outfit for a memorable occasion. I live vicariously through Instagram and have a lot of aspirational looks – I’m talking about you Shrimpton Couture and Christopher John Rogers.’

‘My husband and I return to Trinidad and Tobago most often for Carnival. The mix of cultures, cuisines and traditions there is unlike anywhere else in the world – influences come from West Africa, south Asia, east Asia, Europe and indigenous cultures. It’s a beautiful country and Trinis are the best people.’

‘I got pregnant and had a baby amid the busiest time of my professional life to date. Since then, I’ve realised that the best thing I can do is to keep it simple. First: water, water, water; then: sleep, sleep, sleep. Next, realise the impossibility of the latter with a baby and be OK with that. Then try to jump around and sweat occasionally.’

‘Thelma Golden [director and chief curator of The Studio Museum] has been a real mentor in my professional and personal life – she was my first boss. She has really pushed what it means to be a curator and a person of colour in the art world, and what it means to have a responsibility in those two contexts.’

‘I’m not very good at detoxing; I’ll get a massage occasionally. My husband is really the instigator; it’s good that I have him to encourage me along. I go to DUMBO House a lot – I’m not just saying that. Any time I go there, I see a thousand people I know, it’s almost like a family reunion.’

‘I used to cook, but now, with the baby, I basically never do. My parents do, though, and they fed us throughout my pregnancy. There were a lot of soups, and then bone broth in the winter when I was recovering from childbirth. At some point, I’m going to start cooking again, but in the meantime, Trevor Hockley is my favourite restaurant.’

‘My parents worked for the UN, and even if we didn’t always live in the same home, they kept the same objects – and there are things in our house that I want to treat that way, too. No matter where we live, they’ll be with us – for our child, they will always speak of home.’