By
Tajudeen Sowole
Shades
of behavioural patterns that reshape the society attract painter, Wande
George's brush strokes in a body of work that represents the good and the ugly
of changing values.
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Tears For Our Girls by Wande George |
George's critique of his environment is
expressed in covert concept, but tiled Naked
Truth, and is showing from August 16 to 26, 2014 at Terra Kulture, Victoria
Island, Lagos.
As much as the artist attempts to expose the declining values
and highlight few hopes, his smooth brush movement on canvas struggles to
capture a society's slippery demeanor where nothing else matters, except the
temporary excitement of individuals’ immediate gains.
And as the 30 wall pieces include all the styles and
techniques that George is known for, it does appear that he is unleashing so
much energy onto the mainstream art scene after escaping from two decades of
confinement in ad agency studios. The Truth
and Naked exhibition is the artist's first solo after quitting the
advertising industry as a brand artist, two years ago. In 2012, George had a
joint with fellow ad man, Kola Arifajogun in the show titled Re-emergence, in which the two artists
announced their return to the mainstream art scene.
From the slim figures that explain some of his conceptual
themes to the more representational images and portraits that chronicle his
thoughts about changes in the society, George condenses his oeuvre into an
eclectic gathering. He says the exhibition is about the reality "that
stares us in the face every day." And the "truth" as glaring as
he argues its existence, even gets "documented" by the people, but
"is hardly discussed."
In works such as Desperate Men, a five figure of men walking in oppose directions; and
Deceit (The Seat), a vacant chair in
a lonely space, George explains his thoughts on a society increasingly breeding
people of little or no integrity.
And perhaps, the young generation would
rescue the declining values. Not so, says another work titled Generation X, a figure bewitched in the
age of info tech. The vast opportunity provided by the Internet and info tech-related
devises, George notes, is not being used by many, particularly the Younger
generation to improve the society. So much energy, he says, is being spent
"on non-intellectual things via the social media." And the results;
"today's generation are still not properly informed about issues around
them."
In a satirical portrait, East
and West, representing two major faiths in Nigeria - Islam and Christianity
- George chides religious leaders and their cohorts, the political class for
what he describes as "unnecessary religious rivalry among Nigerians."
Quite a glaring fact though, but the artist's "West," as representing
Christianity appears incorrect or perhaps contemporary. Christianity, like
Islam originated from the Middle East. Perhaps, “West” in George’s argument
represents the political and enterprise characteristics brought into Christianity
by countries such as Britain and the U.S. It might of interest for George to
note that a school of thought believes that the gospel emerged as a source of
spirituality from the Middle East, turned into a weapon of political rivalry in
Europe and became an enterprise in the hands of the Americans.
Still on religion, In God's Name, a
preacher in naira notes patterned garment stresses the artist's thought on the
failure of faiths. "Every corner, there are churches on Sundays; it's not
about salvation, but materialism."
Quite a number of issues, including
faith-related, appear to have energised security concern and worries around the
world. Simply titled Security, an
unidentified figure sitting on a globe fitted with ticking time bomb raises
alarm about a world on the edge.
Still on security issue, the Boko Haram
insurgency and the kidnapped schoolgirls come into the radar of George. The
meeting of President Goodluck Jonathan with parents of some of the Boko
Haram-abducted Chibok schoolgirls and the N100 million Naira, which the
presidency allegedly gave to the families would not stop the ‘Bring Back Our
Girls’ campaign. In George's contribution to keep the campaign alive comes a
portrait Tears For Our Girls, of an
unidentified girl in moderate hijab scarf. "It's so sad that we still
can't recue these girls after over 100 days, " George laments.
Some of the other works, with traces of cubic rendition, such
as Seated Models, Good News, City Girls, For Better For
Worse, Drummer Ecstasy, African Queen and Waiting softens the Naked
Truth body of work, away from the worries of failed leadership and
declining values.
"I am just trying to be fair to my
conscience," the George clarifies in his Artist Statement. He discloses
that it’s a journey of ten years. "I have been exploring this concept of Naked Truth since 2004."
He recalls how he started the theme as series
and as "soul searching, religious concepts." He however warns that a
few of the works for the exhibition may appear offensive to some people. But
they are innocent expression aimed at alerting people and leaders about looming
danger, he says. "it is a
wake up call that violence is real and it is becoming our second nature,
therefore, if we do not act fast, danger is imminent."
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