Ogunbiyi's steady steps of sampling home soils
BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
Sunday, 15 May 2011 00:00
Second show coming six months after her debut in Lagos, the US-based artist, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, still appears to be out of tune with audience at home.
Titled New Paintings, the show, which held inside the boardroom and lobby of S&S Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, revealed an artist, who attempts to ‘paint’ without brush, palette knife and other conventional art tool.
installation-print by Tayo ogunbiyi |
“I got quite an impressive admirers yesterday (opening day) and I’m encouraged,” she says.
Though still young, Temitayo’s focus transcends her base in the US and homeland, Nigeria. Last year, she participated in the 2010 Crazycurators Biennale in Bratislava, Slovakia. Currently, she is preparing for upcoming shows in Poland, New York, Nigeria and Germany.
From her previous show, Broken Weaves to the current effort, she has laid much emphasis on feminine themes, particularly in the area of fashion.
And quite interesting, some of these works show that Temitayo, who has spent nearly 27 years in the US is familiar with the Nigerian local apparels.
Would representational rendition not have been most appropriate for it?
She argues, “representation is not as challenging, as what I have done.”
However, her works still reveal a bit of the abstract traits.
She explains that her approach is precision-oriented, from which she advances via textile to habit and repeated gesture. “References imbedded therein are informed by history and my exchanges with particular commonalities.”
Temitayo ogunbiyi |
The home influence continues in her work as noticed in the weaving technique. She had come in contact with this at the craft of basket making in Lagos, during a brief visit several years back.
In 2009, Temitayo made her debut solo with Mom Calls ‘Em Chinee Bumps at Tamboril Gallery, Brooklyn, U.S. Some of her group shows are: Boomerang! Perm Biennale, Perm Museum of Contemporary Art; Ready, Set, Create, NARS Gallery, Brooklyn; Fields of Play, curated by Anastasia Stein for the Crazycurators’ Biennale, Bratislava, Slovakia; Do it Yourself at The Dash Gallery, New York City
Temitayo studied at Princeton University (June 2006), Yale School of Art, Norfolk Summer Residency Programme, (2005) and Columbia University, M.A, (2011).
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