A-ARTs: In Glistening, young naturalist master, Oresegun expands the boundary

By Tajudeen Sowole

Drips, splashes and flows of water, captured with paint brush on canvas just like images on an IMAX-3D cinema are the strength of young artist, Olumide Oresegun.

Oresegun had announced his entry into the Lagos art circuit in 2011 when he showed a debut solo, Moment of Reason, at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, in an exhibition that refreshed memories of classic painting of naturalism themes. The artist is back as he opens his second solo exhibition titled Glistening, tomorrow, at the same venue.

In this era of highly contentious contemporaneity of art contents, Oresegun’s canvas insists that the great realism paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Michelangelo are the most valuable pieces of art till date for the painstakingness invested by the artists.

One of the bathing secens in Olumide Oresegun’s Glistening.

Ahead of the opening of Glistening, the display of works inside the ground floor of the gallery glaringly showed that indeed, Oresegun had something to flaunt: the water drips, plashes and flows dominated the walls, just as the artist’s skill in photo finish style painting is loud in the largely children themes. He explained that “children in their natural environment attracts my attention.” These include bathing and playing scenes.

Three years after his first solo, what exactly is Glistening bringing that Moment of Reason did not? He said "I am inspired by simple everyday scenes," disclosing how he enjoys "watching children at play totally uninhibited converting all around them into toys and games. I am motivated to capture these scenes on canvas."

Still on the children theme, the artist flaunts his lighting technique, particularly in 0a light scene where the kids use fossil fuel lantern. Though works like that of Oresegun are taken for granted, the domination of the contemporary art space with non-naturalism contents of representational themes, might in the near future place rarity on naturalism.

Aside the water effects, drumming also attracts the artist’s canvas, capturing scenes across the age barriers. In one of the works titled Behind the Stage, an after performance scene of street drummers, comes a revelation in the method by which the drummers keep their earnings. Oresegun’s brushing picks the drummers as they pour naira notes out of the shekere (beaded maracas).

And just to answer the curiosity on how the effects are achieved, the artist disclosed that “I have been able to achieve-this real life effect of water on canvas by painting in layers.”

The gallery, which is known for discovering new artists and bringing in innovations noted that after the artist’s first solo “Oresegun has honed his skills.” The curator, Sinmidele Ogunsanya argued that “his paintings of water scenes are so 'real' you almost feel the water splashing on you from the canvas.” She added that “the fruits in his still life works look 'real' enough to pick and eat.”

Oresegun had his Higher National Diploma (HND) certificate from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria in 2006.

Some of his group shows are: The God Of Ages, 2002, Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos: Where The Journey Ends And Begins, 2004, Yusuf Grillo Gallery, Yaba.

In 2005, he won the third prize at the Goethe Institut/Chidi Kwubiri Competition, organized by Goethe Institute, Lagos, Nigeria.

Art on chessboard with Tunde Onakoya, Lanre Olagoke