residency
residency
MEKKA creates space for BIPOC artists to be and return to themselves.
Space. Rest. Simplicity. Presence.
They indoctrinated you into a system that diminishes craft and extracts culture.
Capitalism transforms artists into producers.
Invite-only global artist residencies for restoration.
No production. No performance. No critique.
A Place to be Human.
Solo restorative residency.
Hosted bespoke restorative residencies centered around spaciousness & being.
Residency Location: Can Maribel Majorca (November 17, 2025 - December 10, 2025)
“My time at MEKKA residency gave me the space to return to myself. The rest wasn't just restorative—it was revelatory. It reminded me that silence, slowness, and sovereignty are not separate from the creative process—they are the foundation.” - Andre. D. Wagner
Andre D. Wagner
Andre D. Wagner (b. 1986, Omaha Nebraska)is a contemporary photographer and artist based in Brooklyn, New York. He explores and chronicles the poetic and lyrical nuances of daily life and the human condition, using the city—particularly his own neighborhood and community—as his subjects. Hailing from Omaha, Wagner relocated to New York in 2011, initially pursuing a master's degree in social work before realizing his true passion for photography. His artistic journey aligns with the rich tradition of street photography, capturing the essence of the American social landscape through themes of race, class, and cultural identity. Wagner also has a self-portrait practice that's been part of his work since the very beginning, it's a body of work that continues to take new turns as his interior world evolves and enlightens. He also loves being in nature and photographing the landscape, considering it a study on light, shape, textures, and the healing powers of the natural world.
Wagner's commitment to his craft also extends to the meticulous process of developing his own black-and-white negatives and producing silver gelatin prints in his personal darkroom.
His photographs have been commissioned by The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, W Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Time, and Vogue, among other publications.
Wagner's photographs have appeared in a number of solo exhibitions and group shows in Los Angeles, New York, and North Carolina. His first monograph, Here for the Ride, was published by Creative Future in 2017. He is currently editing a 10-year body of work titled New City, Old Blues.
Andre D. Wagner
Can you share more about your experience with rest during the residency?
“What supported me most during my time in Mallorca was having a dedicated space for rest that wasn't tied to production or external expectation. There was something profoundly nourishing about being given the permission to simply be—to slow down, listen, walk, breathe, and feel into the rhythm of the land without the demand to create or deliver. This created a kind of equilibrium—internally and environmentally—where stillness became a form of integration. In many ways, the residency gave me access to a deeper quality of listening, one that shaped the trajectory of my creative and spiritual process since having left.”
Did this experience shift anything in your creative practice, relationship to rest, or sense of self?
“Absolutely—this experience arrived at a very poignant moment in my life and creative journey. It met me in deep alignment with who I am and who I'm actively becoming as an artist. That alone made it incredibly impactful. The residency affirmed that there are so many different ways I can create—ways that might seem counterintuitive to traditional models of artistic production, but are completely aligned with my inner rhythm. It showed me that art doesn't have to come from urgency, stress, or visible productivity. It can come from stillness, reflection, slowness, ritual, coherence. This wasn't a spiritual retreat per se, but the openness and spaciousness of the residency allowed it to become as spiritual, creative, empowering, and expansive as I needed it to be. That freedom shaped how I now want to move forward in my practice. So yes, this experience shifted my creative process (toward more intuition and trust), my relationship to rest (as a generative and integral part of practice), and my sense of self (as someone who can root into alignment even when it looks like I'm moving against the tide). In an art world often driven by speed and extraction, this residency reminded me that sustainability doesn't have to mean compromise. It can mean resonance. And I believe from that place, I'll continue to find not only my creative voice, but also the pathways to sustain it.”
Would you recommend MEKKA to other artists?
“I would recommend MEKKA because it's such a valuable and necessary experience—especially in a world where so many artists rarely give themselves the time, space, or permission to truly step away from distraction and just be with themselves. What MEKKA offers is more than just a residency—it's a container for clarity, rest, and recalibration. Since experiencing that, it's become something I now want to cultivate more regularly in my own life. It reminded me that creating from alignment, spaciousness, and presence often leads to deeper, more meaningful work. I think other artists would be illuminated by what they might discover—about themselves, their practice, and their purpose—when they have the space to listen inward. That kind of insight doesn't just impact the moment; it adds to the long-term vision of what they're building, both creatively and personally.”
(advisor)
Loran Ajuang Hamilton is an art patron, collector, and collaborator whose work reflects a lifelong mission to support artists—particularly artists of color. For decades, she has championed and managed creatives across disciplines, cultivating opportunities for their voices and visions to thrive.
Her practice of cultural stewardship includes projects like Soudio, where she deepened her collaborative relationships with WOC artists. Through her ongoing patronage, Loran continues to invest in spaces where artists can thrive, experiment, and reimagine what the future can hold.
(board)
Shanita Nicholas is an accomplished attorney, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Quantum Seeds. With a background in chemical engineering, law, and business, she brings a unique blend of technical, legal, and creative expertise to her work.
Shanita began her career as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, designing enterprise IT systems for government agencies, before becoming a corporate attorney at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and later Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Her legal practice has spanned derivatives, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, and venture capital, with a strong focus on supporting founders of color from startup to exit.
At Sip & Sonder, a global Black-women-owned coffee brand, Shanita builds community through coffeehouses, a roastery, and curated coffee goods. Sip & Sonder creates spaces for creativity, connection, and cultural representation while advancing sustainable, direct-trade sourcing. Its motto, “Come for the coffee, stay for the culture,” reflects its mission to celebrate diasporic stories from crop to cup.
Through Sonder Impact, Shanita advances entrepreneurship initiatives that expand access to resources, mentors, and capital for Black communities. She also serves on the Board of MEKKA and the Advisory Board of Women Founders Network. Shanita holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a JD/MBA, all from Columbia University.
(founder & president)
Malliha lives the questions rather than rushing toward answers, understanding that curiosity is healing, and uncertainty lifts veils. After years of building agencies and nonprofits, she found herself drawn to Mexico, where nature became her greatest teacher, showing her new ways to think, feel, and exist. She believes rest has been weaponized in Western culture, stripped of its sacred power, when it should be honored as the foundation from which all creation flows. For her, writing deepens self-knowledge, listening cultivates growth, and being allows synthesis. She moves through the world knowing that community is wealth, that relationships mirror our truest selves, and that challenges reveal our edges. MEKKA emerged from this philosophy, a space where questions have room to breathe, where rest reclaims its rightful place, and where BIPOC artists can remember what they've always known but the world tried to make them forget.
(board)
As a senior P&L Leader and Board Member, Ian Hardman brings $350M+ in organic growth delivering value through finance, operations and DTC/B2B brand building experiences across the consumer goods and financial services sectors. Previously, he served in senior leadership roles including SVP & Chief Strategy Officer at 1800flowers.com as well as the Small Business P&L Leader & GM at H&R Block and Fab.com. As Managing Director at GE Capital, he successfully launched both GEsmallbusiness.com and GE VentureMine.com. Prior experience includes general manager responsibilities at Reebok International where he drove category profitability and new product development as well as strategy consulting while with The Boston Consulting Group. Ian currently serves as an Operating Partner with Orangeleaf Partners and Overton Venture Capital as well as served as a two-term Board Member & Strategic Planning Chair for the US Olympic Committee NGB, USA Taekwondo. Ian received his BBA, Finance from Howard University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.
If you feel alignment, support. Questions? Let's connect.