By Tajudeen
Sowole
Photography
inspired by poetry and other literary genres come from the lens of one of
Nigeria’s new generation photo artists, Logo Oluwamuyiwa Adeyemi, whose focus
on Lagos is strongly becoming one of the new sources of unseen parts of the
city. The photographer whose signature identifies him simply as Logor is
currently expanding his Lagos series in a solo exhibition titled Down The
Rabbit Hole, showing till June 18, 2016 at Alara Contemporary, Victoria
Island, Lagos.
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One of the captures from Logor’s exhibition at Alara Contemporary
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On a
section of walls at Alara, the mostly black and white works of Logor play double
roles of art pieces on special exhibition as well as complementing the space's
design items on display for sales. Coming as another art exhibition in a space
where luxury items reside, and sponsored by Veuve Clicquot, Logor's Down The
Rabbit Hole adds to the increasing contemporaneity that is blurring the
line between art and design.
In contextual terms, some of Logor's
photographs, thematically, are, though woven around the environment as related
to the inhabitants, the literary flavour sometimes strays into academics. But
he declares, "Lagos is my rabbit hole." And perhaps to confirm the
covertly complexity of his theme, he adds: "my work is a study and not a
statement."
From his choice of expression via black and
white to the themes he treats, there is no doubt that Logor is trying to walk a
rare path in the increasingly populated Nigerian photography space. Works such
as Anti Wagon and another with Chicken Wings inscription stress
his identity. "Trying to explain how I choose to do things differently,"
he says to a select preview guests shortly before the show opens.
Exploring non-imagery genre, particularly, his
poetry, comes into exhibition. As one ascends the layers of spaces at Alara,
text of Logor's poetry is projected, possibly as video installation, onto the
black walls.
Captures from a yearly musical event, Felabration musical adds to his Monochrome
Lagos project series, in a tribute to the skills of Qudus Onikeku’s troupe
of dancers.
And still
on the literary inspiration, Logor, who is a contemporary photographer,
surprisingly, finds attraction in modernist writer and a Yoruba classist, D.O.
Fagunwa. In fact, he discloses how the books of old writers such as Fagunwa and
Lewis Caroll came into his view much earlier than that of contemporary
authors.
Alara's curatorial notes: "This
exhibition showcases the artist's unique approach to conceptual documentation
of the human carnival.
"In its breath, freshness and daring, Down the Rabbit Hole achieves a true
paradigm shift in how the city is presented and appreciated by a global
audience, including local residents who typically rush past the unchanging
beauty of this old town.”
Early this year, Logor joined Dipo Doherty,
Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, Eloghosa Osunde and Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu for a group art
exhibition titled Young Contemporaries
2016 at Rele Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. Among his works on display was a Third Mainland Bridge captured from low
angle, almost at the water level, beneath the 11.8 km long monument.
At the same gallery, earlier in 2015, Logor
participated in a group show, Strip,
with Ayoola Gbolahan, Ibeabuchi Anababa and Isaac Emokpae as well as
photographers Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Reza Bonna, Toyosi Faridah Kekere Ekun.
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