ISE-DA

            ISE-DA • ìṣẹ̀dá
(pronounced: e-sheh-da)

Yoruba to English Translation: creation; origin; nature; good work

ABOUT US

ISE-DA™ (pronounced: e-sheh-da)

Launched in 2020, ISE-DA™ is a mission-driven art advisory focused on the cultural stewardship of Black contemporary art. Through our advisory services, educational platform and events, and programming with partners, ISE-DA™ prioritizes cultural stewardship - the practice of taking responsibility for and preserving the value of cultural works. We aim to cultivate a pioneering generation of Black collectors invested in the social and financial growth of cultural hubs in Black communities. With the principles of Cultivation, Education, and Reimagination, ISE-DA™ takes a holistic approach to cultural stewardship and uses art collecting as a starting point to invest in and support the global development of Black cultural production. 

Our end goal? A connected community engaged and invested in sustaining contemporary Black art across the diaspora.

OUR VALUES

  • Through our advisory services, ISE-DA™ aims to cultivate a pioneering generation of collectors invested in the social and financial growth of cultural hubs in Black communities. Our outreach includes targeting communities typically overlooked by the art industry but are eager to build collections and promote cultural stewardship.

  • Our art advisory, events, and annual projects provide resources to learn about art collecting, the art market, and the cultural contexts of Black contemporary art.

  • ISE-DA™ uses art collecting as a starting point to reimagine the art ecosystem and art engagement. This includes experimenting with various exhibition formats, targeted cross-industry partnerships, and increasing the accessibility of Black cultural production

ISE-DA New Collectors’ Program: Private Tour of Mark Bradford’s You Don’t Have To Tell Me Twice at Hauser & Wirth, July 2023

OUR TEAM

Adefolakunmi (Fola) Adenugba

Founder and Art Advisor

Fola is a Nigerian arts professional with a global upbringing in the UK, Switzerland, and the US. She is the founder of ISE-DA™, leading business development, strategy, and art advisory services. Fola holds a Master of Arts in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York, and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a second major in Art History from Emory University.

Her career spans consulting roles, internships, and positions at institutions like the High Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art, Cheryl Hazan Gallery, and Meta's Open Arts team. Fola has curated exhibitions featured on NBC NY, spoken at Miami Art Week, and moderated panels on Black contemporary art. She was selected as a cultural partner for Carnegie Hall’s Afrofuturism festival and appeared in a PBS documentary on Afrofuturism.

Recognized on Forbes North America's 30 Under 30 Art & Style list for 2024, Fola has guest lectured at RISD, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and presented for the St. Louis Museum of Art's Collectors Circle Program. She also serves as an inaugural member of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art's Global African Council.

George Kofi Prah

Visual Design and Art Director

George is a graphic designer, illustrator, and visual artist from Ghana, based in New York City. George leads visual design and art direction for ISE-DA™. He is a senior designer at creative branding agency, Sibling Rivalry and also collaborates with friends on creative projects in his spare time. His design work has been featured in Graphis Magazine New Talent (2017) and the Indigo Design Awards (2018). His personal illustration work explores consciousness and the nuances of human connection, with each other and spirituality. Inspired by surrealism, sci-fi motives, psychology, everyday life, and religion, his illustrations depict short vignettes into the worlds and minds of fascinating characters.

Amber Smith

Marketing and Partnerships Lead

Amber is a digital strategist, writer, and arts administrator from the US, based in New York. Amber leads ISE-DA’s marketing, events, and partnerships while supporting the 2025 launch of Temperature Check. In addition to her work with ISE-DA, she is a contributor for Elephant Magazine and the founder of Palette Assistants. She also develops marketing strategies for niche brands that share her passions.

Previously, Amber has worked with VC Include, Artmatic, Saatchi and Saatchi, Superposition, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Storage Gallery, House of Ease, OMD, and more.

Laila Lawson

Development Intern

Laila is an arts administrator from Oakland, California, currently based in New York City. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Arts Administration at Teachers College, Columbia University. With a background in psychology and expertise in behavior pattern recognition, Laila specializes in fundraising and marketing strategies.  She is currently contributing to the launch of Temperature Check as a Developmental Intern. Her previous research explored the impact of arts and cultural activities on subjective well-being. An artist herself, Laila is dedicated to advancing the arts and cultural landscape of the African diaspora in New York City.

Kendall Wallace

Advisory Intern

Kendall Wallace is an Art History major at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Architecture, with minors in Africology and Social Justice. Her experience includes completing an art business program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and she is an active member of Temple University’s Student Exhibition Team. Kendall plans to pursue a master’s degree in arts management with a focus on African diasporic art.