Precious Okoyomon

In this episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Precious Okoyomon. I’ve been a huge fan of their work ever since I experienced To See the Earth Before the End of the World at the Venice Biennale in 2022. The installation—named after a poem by Ed Roberson—had a deep impact on me. Precious had taken over an entire warehouse, planting invasive kudzu and sugarcane, species deeply tied to histories of colonization, creating an environment that was never the same from one day to the next—a living, breathing, immersive ecosystem. Scattered throughout the huge space were human-like sculptures made from raw wool, little ponds with snails, and black butterflies flying around—it was wild, tender, and simultaneously a little dark and slimy. The whole space transformed while the plants were taking over more and more, covering the human figures and creating a world that felt at once powerful, delicate, unruly, and full of potential.

As a gardener, poet, artist, and even a chef, Precious is deeply inspired by plants—not just as symbols of resilience, but as living witnesses to history. Their work draws connections between botany, colonization, and racialization but also looks at how nature can offer renewal, resistance, and even revolution. To me, Precious is as much a philosopher as they are an artist— a worldbuilder and a visionary who imagines and materializes new realities—offering up new ways of being. And enmeshed at the root of their worlding is always language—in the form of poetry, Precious's own writing, and inspiration from other poets.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Precious at the opening of their exhibition, One Either Oneself or Knows Oneself, at the Kunsthaus Bregenz. While the show was the catalyst for our meeting, our conversation went far beyond it, delving into Precious’s approach to art and life itself.

Before we begin, a quick note: during the interview, we mention a giant teddy bear and other soft sculptures, which are part of the Kunsthaus Bregenz exhibition. I invite listeners to check out the show images—including snapshots of the many visitors like Hans Ulrich Obrist and Precious herself lying on the enormous cuddly toy. Which, at first glance, appears to be a sweet, soft toy but on closer inspection has sharp, pointy teeth visible within its pink grin.

Ok, you’ll find all the references in the show notes. Oh! And if you can, do subscribe—that would be really helpful. I’ll try and do monthly episodes, and there are more wonderful artists coming up soon.

 

Show notes:

Exhibition at the Kunsthaus Bregenz

Lee Smolin : Nature Re-born

Poets: Alice Notley, Dana Ward, Tyrone Williams