Check Out Sharifa Lafon’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharifa Lafon.

Hi Sharifa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I have a non-traditional entry point into the arts. I worked in the automotive industry before going back to school to study art history and photography followed by a master’s degree in visual studies. Currently, I am the executive director and curator for Denver Digerati, a nonprofit that focuses on emergent technology, which includes time-based media, performance, and tech-based experimental practices.

This can encompass a lot of different types of artwork, but I think it is easiest to summarize by saying that I’m interested in artists who center play and experimentation as a central part of their work. I am a practicing artist as well, but I’ve found a delineation between my own internal and external drives.

Making artwork satisfies internal desires to make sense of the world, and curation fulfills external motivations to create space for artists to have their work seen. I’m excited by the current climate in Denver and all the artists I have the great privilege of working with.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working in the arts is full of consistent obstacles and challenges. It requires the ability to be nimble and I believe that this sentiment would be shared by the vast majority of artists and nonprofit sector staff who share my lived experience as well as a passion for what we do. While there have been some changes concerning how the arts and culture sector is supported, running a nonprofit means that you are essentially recreating your funding every year.

As a director working at the intersections of technology and art, it is even harder due to a lack of understanding about necessary expertise, costs of implementation, and maintenance. I feel very strongly about the value of my work and the artists in my network, but it is a continual struggle to demonstrate its importance in Denver.

It is a big part of the reason why much of the work we do has transitioned into occupying a grassroots/DIY space. I’m interested in what’s happening outside of the institutions because it represents a version of right NOW that I think is important.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In my personal artwork, I am fascinated with all of the little things that I can’t put my finger on that make me uncomfortable. To rephrase another way, I like to analyze the ways the dominant culture impacts the everyday. It’s often through the simplest actions that one finds direct lineage to systems of power that persist in the persuasions of society and consumerism.

These are the things that elicit the feeling that we’re doing something wrong, or not fitting into an arbitrary societal expectation. I don’t typically fit in and I’m enjoying exploring what that means. Currently, this takes form in experimental filmmaking and various methods of manipulating the output.

I am an incredibly shy and introverted person, so my films are a way for me to engage in performance—without engaging in performance. In their simplest explanation, I construct sculptural objects and I film myself in performance, then I alter the films using traditional analog processes, or software to break apart the image.

If I’m making work, I find joy in immersing myself in the process. It’s a space where I can let my mind wander, and by doing so, I’m able to find the space to uncover the connections between thinking and feeling.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Kindness and authenticity are incredibly important to me. I try to always operate in this manner and I seek out people who do the same.

Contact Info:

• Website: denverdigerati.org
• Instagram: instagram.com/denverdigerati

Image Credits
Raquel Meyers, Trey Moody, Kevin Sweet, Ben Coleman, Elle Hong, and Shana Cruz-Thompson