‘A business that stands for something’: Art by Dangana showcases west African culture and conversation in New Brunswick

Alheri Bingi is pictured at her first exhibition at the Saint John Arts Centre in Saint John, N.B.

Alheri Bingi’s first exhibition in the Maritimes just wrapped but she’s already planning her next one.

“It was just a really great feeling to see people connect with my culture, which is the most important thing to me,” Bingi said.

Bingi is the creator of Art by Dangana, a Saint John-based business that sells handmade African textile wall art. The collection celebrates and highlights African batik art but it also has a message.

“What I want to do with my art is to create that sense of awareness, open conversations – no matter how uncomfortable they are – we need to have them to avoid racism,” said Bingi. “Not talking about it doesn’t mean it’s not there. You’re just ignoring it and that’s really where my work comes from. Even if I don’t sell something, sometimes it’s really about what I’m standing for.”

Bingi’s showcase, “From Lagos to Saint John,” has been on display at the Saint John Arts Centre since Jan. 17 and continues until Mar. 8.

“I was truly shocked that people actually travelled all the way to meet me and my work,” said Bingi. “I didn’t expect that many people to show up. Sometimes you don’t know how many people are watching your business from afar until maybe there’s something happening, like an event, where people come to you and say they’ve been following you for years.”

Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Bingi moved to Canada for school in 2020 after her mom passed.

“I was 26 (years old) and wanted a fresh start,” said Bingi. “I’ve always been the kind of person to say, ‘why not?’ Why not try it? What’s the worst that can happen? Let me try, and it doesn’t work, I can always come back home.”

Besides going to university in New Brunswick, Bingi said she “didn’t have a long-term plan”. She bought a one-way ticket from Lagos and landed in Canada in January – the middle of winter.

“I’ve just been winging it since then, and it’s been working out,” said Bingi. “I’m a strong believer in God, and I believe that God has played a huge part in how I’ve navigated my settling in Canada.”

Bingi is an entrepreneur who earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick Saint John in 2021. After completing her MBA and securing permanent residency four years ago, she focused on what kind of business she wanted to pursue.

Bingi said she started Art by Dangana to sell artwork but she doesn’t consider herself an artist.

“I feel like that might be a little insulting to people who are actually artists,” she said. “Mine is more like cultural education and representation. My fabrics are sourced from my hometown in Nigeria. I personally handpick my fabrics and then I create them into art. So, an artist would be somebody who would create their work from scratch and go through all the tedious hours of creation.”

Bingi describes herself as a businessperson but said it’s important that her business has a purpose.

“Not just a money-making business, a business that actually stands for something.”

In Nigeria, Bingi earned a bachelor’s degree and went to fashion school before opening a clothing business. When she started Art by Dangana, she displayed her work at pop-up markets in Saint John. She followed that by selling her work off café walls throughout the Port City until she was featured in her own exhibitions. In June, her work will be featured at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in Fredericton.

Conversations are also underway to exhibit Bingi’s work at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., where she’s served as a mentor for commerce students as the Executive in Residence since November.

“We’re (Mount Allison) discussing doing an exhibition on the ground just to open up the students to more cultural diversity,” said Bingi. “Especially because there’s a lot of people like me who have moved to these parts of Canada within the last five years.”

Bingi said she’s narrowing her business’s focus to be more strategic and balance a busy schedule.

“When you start a business you’re running like a headless chicken, taking on everything, just trying to get out there,” said Bingi. “But now it’s more intentional for me. Everything that I do for the rest of the year will be more geared towards intentional visibility for people who look like me, to give us some kind of representation in this new place we call home.”

Starting conversations is a big motivation for Bingi, who’s spoken with high school students and Black Lives Matter New Brunswick about her work and experience.

“When they see me, that I’m somebody who is pushing my culture and I’m standing up for us, then those conversations kind of open up freely.”

Bingi said she encourages the aspiring entrepreneurs she meets to “go for it.”

“The support is everywhere. There are grants here, there are grants here for Black people, for women in business,” she said. “It’s very empowering when we see people who actually want to learn from you because of what you’re doing. It’s a very good feeling.”

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