Norfolk Insider Guide: Stephen Gombakomba
A Norvician since 2008, Stephen Gombakomba @tadithegreat is an artist and curator. His curiosity and drive for learning, amplified by Norwich’s DIY culture, has led him to explore various disciplines, like DJing and hosting nights, as well as graphic design. Having seen the true impact of word of mouth while working in the Norwich Lanes, each job has led Stephen on to another stage of his artistic journey. Stephen was recently selected for Future Bubblers, an artist development programme by Brownswood Records/Gilles Peterson, which saw him perform at the iconic Jazz Cafe.
EAST GALLERY
For inspiration I head here to check out the latest exhibition – there’s such a varied range, including print, textiles, pastels and VR. I worked here during my BA in Fashion Communication and Promotion at Norwich University of the Arts (NUA) and until I finished my MA in Curation, a course I was introduced to through the role. It’s close to my heart as it was here that I began to wear many hats, as the job involved helping with installation, invigilating and curating events to go with exhibitions.
ST STEPHEN’S UNDERPASS
The underpass's contribution to the Norwich arts scene is massively under appreciated. Whenever I pass through, I see something that triggers inspiration. Whichever direction youchoose to go through, you’ll see commissioned artworks on the boards that all incorporate different art styles. Some haven’t been updated in a while; however, I think this works to their advantage as over the years I’ve started to look at some of the pieces through a different lens. All four entry points to the underpass have a dedicated public noticeboard filled with posters of all Norwich has to offer, from DIY events to nationwide tours, music lessons and more. For me, that’s the highlight of the underpass, as it’s always changing, and from a designer’s perspective it has showed me the many styles of Norvician poster design.
SAINSBURY CENTRE
This Sir Norman Foster-designed art gallery in the grounds of the university is another must-visit for the diversity of its collection. You always see something you weren’t expecting. As a space it manages to place modern art successfully next to ancient artefacts. Easily accessible by bus, I love how the modern architecture of the building juxtaposes with the ziggurats' 60s brutalist design.
GONZO’S TWO ROOM
As one of the resident DJs at Gonzo’s, if I’m not running my own night Astral Weeks, I’m DJing for Pretty Ugly and Our House, designing artwork for Parish or partying at Soul Stew and Illusion. If you’re into your rib ticklers as I am, you might find me in the audience at Laugh Lab’s comedy nights.
CRATE DIGGING
For a crate dig, it’s the recently opened Lowell (see p.252), and they sell vintage clothing in there as well, which means you might spot both a musical and a fashion rarity. If I’m after some second-hand records, the place to go is Beatniks, 50 Magdalen Street, Norwich, NR3 1JE, and I go here regularly as the collection is regularly updated. Attend at your own risk as I always leave with a record (or a few). In terms of risograph printing, I firmly rely on Rizzo Studio, St Mary’s Works, Norwich, NR3 1QA. Sometimes I take my SP404 music sampler up to Mousehold Heath, NR1 4HW, to work on beats with the city skyline as my backdrop.