Muraina Akeem's 'Metalphysics Alliance' celebrates 30 years of studio practice

'Oloja gbooro' (Custodian), 51" x 64", door hinges, steel wire grails, padlocks and keys, dated 2022, by Muraina Akeem.

IN celebrating three decades of studio practice, artist, Muraina Akeem captures scriptural analogy with newly-found medium and techniques in sculptural expression.

His solo art exhibition, which carries three sub-themes of The cows, The Pastures and The Tenants, titled Metalphysics Alliance opens on April 27, ending May 4, 2024 at Signature Beyond Art Gallery, 107, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Again, Signature Beyond Gallery's identity of easing in showing rare artist's works continues with Akeem's Metalphysics Alliance exhibition.

Some of the exhibits include 'Agbalowo m'eeri' (Subsidy), which has the biggest horn that is made  of a 25 litre gallon keg, as one of the famous tools of trade usually imposed artificial fuel scarcity and relative malpractices and oil theft; 'Akin b'ogunlo' (the Matyr) a broken horns executed with natural horn skeleton, representing the Lost Souls of those who had stood up to defend lack of commensurate compensation for the attending challenges of the oil explorations on their land as witnessed in the Ogoni 5; and 'F'awo r'aja' (Ego massaging ), among others.

In his Artist statement titled 'Peculiar adorations goes to the Merciful beneficient,' Akeem described  Metalphysics Alliance, as his my second solo exhibition, landmarking of his 30th year as an artist. Excerpts;

 "Newly added materials to my constructive and creative works of art on steel, like newspapers, electrical panels, keys and padlocks etc  had been purposefully used in alliances to create a unique and symbolic thought provoking visual experiences. It's further establishes the impact of my commitment to material recycling  at re-engineering the environment consciousness in the relative engagements are interactions between self and co-habitats of the Earth citizen.

"The exhibits were executed using my peculiar minimalistic approach and were given satirical titles in Yoruba my tribal language. I strongly believe that pristine tribal languages are  one of the best ways to access and of documentations of the the virile culture and philosophy of our great ancestors or forebearers. 

But the satirical title is a subtle pinching and a clarion calling out on the tenants,  here which is the man species, for him to witness in reality the self created nightmares around himself. Perchance this might serve as a lit to cleansing himself of this dark maladies. 

"The  theme : The Cows, the Pastures and the Tenants the cows here, seven of them is a cue from one of the famous scriptural Joseph's interpretation of the then king of Egypt's dream of the seven fat cows....fat cows represents the largesse of a buoyant economy. Cows in this context were created from discarded plastic fuel tanks of motor vehicles . This perfectly relates to oil the current nerve of my country's economy and one of the cardinal focus of this show. 

"The Pastures here represents all of the endowed natural resources not limited to oil but agriculture products, gold and some of the other relatives. The Tenants are the entrusted managers of the earth citizens, which in this case is the Man.

"The oil boom era had resulted into an intoxicated ego massaging and wastefulness . And inevitably these had resulted into the creations of multiple drain pipes into the greedy and  unpatriotic private pockets at the expense of the larger majority."

Signature Beyond noted that Akeem seamlessly blends the raw beauty of metal with the ethereal essence of storytelling, creating a symphony of form and narrative that resonates with profound depth and meaning. According to the gallery, each sculpture serves as a portal into a world where reality intertwines with myth, where the mundane is transformed into the extraordinary, and where the past, present, and future converge in a timeless dance of creation.

What's the essence of the three themes part of Metalphysics Alliance? "The Cow, the Pastures, and the Tenants symbolize more than just physical entities; they represent archetypes of human experience, embodying the universal themes of life, growth, and transformation," Signature Beyond explained. "Through Akeem’s masterful craftsmanship, these 

symbols come to life, inviting us to contemplate the mysteries of existence and ponder the hidden truths that lie beneath the surface of our collective consciousness."