By Tajudeen Sowole
(Published in The Guardian Nigeria)
Relativity in great collection is being challenged by a group of nine artists who throw their hats into the ring by claiming to have the most valuable art pieces yet seen. In fact, the artists have gathered for a group exhibition strategically titled Essentials, which opened yesterday; it will show for a week at Alexis Galleries, Victoria Island, Lagos,
Relativity in great collection is being challenged by a group of nine artists who throw their hats into the ring by claiming to have the most valuable art pieces yet seen. In fact, the artists have gathered for a group exhibition strategically titled Essentials, which opened yesterday; it will show for a week at Alexis Galleries, Victoria Island, Lagos,
Akinola Ebenezer, Bimbo Adenugba, George
Edozie, Gerald Chukwuma, Joshua Nmesirionye, Kunle Adegborioye, Osagie Aimufia,
Segun Aiyesan and Wallace Ejoh are artists of Essentials whose
individual skills in painting and mixed media spans 10 years to two decades.
With such a broad gathering, the artists are also hoping to use the exhibition
as a platform to form a professional group.
From
Edozie's stylised figures, bathed in competing vibrant colours, to Akinola's
realism that keeps the basic essence of art alive as well as motif-patterned
new canvas of Adenugba and relief sculptures of Chukwuma, the Essentials artists
appear to have expanded the highly competitive art landscape of Lagos. Works of
Ejoh, Nmesirionye, Adegborioye, Aiyesan and Aimufia are though not strange to
the connoisseurs in Lagos, the artists are using the opportunity of Essentials
to show some of their "best" works.
Having exhibited most of the Essentials
artists, individually, Alexis has no reason to doubt their power of attracting
the right appreciation. "This is a must see show of breathtaking works at
affordable prices, we at the Alexis Galleries are delighted to host this all
important show of great artists," said curator, Patty Chidiac. "This
group of artists is well established and none of them has had less than 20
years of practices to his credit," she states, adding that "most of the members of this group have
exhibited extensively in Nigeria and abroad." The gathering, Chidiac enthused,
has been made possible by "sponsors" such as Chocolat Royale, Nigeria
Info, Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Cool TV, Wazobia TV, Art Café, Veuve Clicquot
Ponsardin, Arra Wines, The Homestores Limited, Litho-Chrome Limited, Avenue
Suites Hotel and Cobranet Internet Service Provider.
"Essentials is informed by a gathering
aimed at taking Nigerian art to a higher level as our works are indeed essentials for collection," Edozie
boasted. Nmesirionye who is among the non-regulars at Alexis expresses
confidence that the group exhibition has "artists with unique individual
quality." And it's not just about art for art's sake, says Adenugba.
"We are putting our ideology together, using art, in contributing to
national development," Adenugba explains.
Chukwuma discloses that beyond exhibiting of
their works, the group, when fully on ground is also hoping to go into
publication as means of expanding the art scene. On a specific name for the
proposed-group, a full identity, he said "will unfold after two or three
exhibitions together."
Recall that early last year, Edozie and
another group of artists came together with similar focus and had a show titled
Serendipity. The group also had international art market in focus, but
yet to make any other public appearance. But at the Essentials gathering,
few days ago, Edozie assured that Serendipity is still alive and
"we are working quietly". He
argued that "it takes some times for a strong group to be formed,"
but assured "we are regrouping to come out bigger." The Serendipity artists who showed at Alexis
include Chukwuma, Jefferson Jonathan, Dominique Zinkpe, Tolu Aliki, Nyemike
Onwuka and Edozie.
In its consistence of promoting artists across
generations, particularly new up-and-coming ones, Alexis showed a solo of Raji
Mohammed’s Inspired this year.
“There
are many older artists who wanted to have solo exhibitions, but we would not
give them; Raji is hard working, and has a promising career,”
Chidiac argued shortly before the exhibition.
Also. Chika Idu's theme on environmental
degredation of Lagos coastal areas titled The
Other World was shown by Alexis this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment