Daniëlle Zawadi

Writer, Literary Curator

“Sunni Lamin Barrow is a leading voice in this generation’s search for meaningful representation in intersectional and multidisciplinary spoken poetry. As a collaborator and spectator, I find myself charmed by his work and the contradictory effect it has on me: you’ll be smiling and crying at the same time. This duality is something I admire and find inspiring. He is the moment in which queer Black joy transcends stereotypes and makes room for something new, fresh, and hard-hitting.”

Berith Danse

Artistic Director Plein Theater

The stage work of Sunni Lamin is both distinctive and, above all, deeply authentic. As a slow walker, he guides you through the landscapes of his poetry and philosophical reflections, with a presence on stage that radiates care and love. Listening to his text, and the musicality of his words often brings me into a subtle, trance-like state of being.

Sunni chooses his words with precision and approaches live performance as a form of research, exploring its unfolding in real time.
His artistic approach will undoubtedly inspire many other makers, as it moves along the edge of spoken poetry, rooted in the traditions of Senegambia’s great poets, and the gentle, queer performance scenes of contemporary Europe.

I believe Sunni Lamin has the potential to grow into a remarkable, self-made artist, as long as he continues to follow his inner source of inspiration and intuition.

Nanda van den Berg

Director Huis Marseille Museum

“Sunni owns this large ‘Inner Light’ which emanates from him and touches everything he does. For the opening of our 2022 exhibition ‘The beauty of the world so heavy’ with works by Dana Lixenberg, Sabelo Mlangeni, Lindokuhle Sobekwa and Dirk Kome,  he composed a special poem. Sunni has a phenomenal talent to grasp the essence of the works on display. His words reverberated and touched the moment and the minds of all the people present at the opening.

Sydney Lowell

Poet, Founder We The People

 

To be witness to Sunni Lamin Barrow and his artistic practice, is to be witness to great vulnerability and creative prowess. Sunni knows how to create worlds inside his words for his audiences to be consoled, enthralled, moved and delighted by – all at once. It’s inside these worlds, Sunni takes full charge over his stories, while always allowing space for imagination. I saw audiences visibly touched by him over and over again with his theater debut A Fist Of Tongues, which toured all across The Netherlands, even earning him an award nomination. A gifted poet and comrade, it’s a true pleasure witnessing his shapeshifting between writer, poet, researcher, curator and theatermaker. Undeniably, Sunni Lamin Barrow is a valuable part of the creative fabric in The Netherlands and beyond. And I can’t wait to see what he does next!

Dwayne Toemere

Theater maker, Researcher

Sunni’s work moves between poetry and presence, vulnerability and power. In his work he weaves grief, queerness, and displacement into performances that are both tender and unflinching. He carries his unapologetic blackness with a grace that inspires: a quiet resilience that shapes every word, every gesture. His aesthetic sensibility, spoken-word precision, and grounded stage presence make him an artist to watch. Sunni is not imitating form, he is creating his own language of belonging, memory, and emotional truth.