15 Mar Mills and the big blue bus. Leaving Jamestown.
There’s something about the big blue bus that engulfs and almost overwhelms the painting, ‘Leaving Jamestown’ by Nii T. Mills. The bus is a cavernous, imposing presence. As if there’s a whole other world happening inside it. And then there’s the boy, clutching his bag tightly, slightly slumped, broken by life but still optimistic… but
26 Feb Isiaka Osunde: Retracing the footprints of a legend
Perhaps, the bronze bust of a grim-faced young lady, sporting a threaded plaited hairstyle, only tangentially alludes to the zeitgeist. But with the 1964 sculpture, titled “Nigerian Girl”, Isiaka Adams Osunde earned his stripes for stunningly reenacting a period-specific trend for posterity. So much may, in any case, have changed since the Edo State-born and Lagos-raised
06 Dec Hanging with the GFA
From the 11th to the 13th of December we’ll be hosting a GFA salon at the gallery.
If you like the art of Duke Asidere, Abiodun Olaku, Alex Nwokolo, Ben Ibebe…then you’re in for quite the treat.
22 Aug Babatunde and Agose
Bunmi Babatunde and Patrick Agose are both master sculptors at the universal studio in Lagos. Babatunde has exhibited extensively and is well-known in art circles for his graceful sculptures. His sculptures have evolved over the years from the early, elegant sculptures that presented his forms as ideas rooted in African sculptural tradition and influenced by
18 May Excerpts from ‘Duke Asidere’s Sketches & Therapy’
Ogwuashi-Uku July 24, 2004 Duke Asidere’s bags are packed. Everything he needs is in his Nissan Micra car. It’s a tiny, brown car, slightly beat-up but reliable. He gets in, turns on the ignition and begins his journey to Ogwuashi-Uku. He’d just agreed to take a teaching position in the art department of Delta State
17 May Discussions and disagreements – Odutokun and Oshinowo
Kolade Oshinowo created the artwork ‘The conference’ in 1975. In the seventies and eighties, he experimented with abstract, mixed media artworks. These abstract artworks were a marked deviation from the landscapes and figurative artworks he was known for at the time. The abstract pieces, like ‘The conference’ present a more adventurous side of the great
17 May NoDistance
We hope you’re keeping safe. Unfortunately, we can’t have exhibitions at the gallery at the moment. But that doesn’t mean we can’t present interesting artworks to you. So, we’ll be sending you a series of themed show reels. The first, ‘No Distance’ is a look back at the time before social distancing using the artworks of
20 Apr Stay Safe And Inspect Those Artworks
We hope you’re safe. Who would have thought that the phrase, ‘we hope you’re safe’ would be standard greeting? But here we are. We do hope you’re safe in your homes, and our thoughts are with you. Since you’re stuck at home, this might be a good time to look at your artworks. Not just
20 Jan Onitsha and London
Uzo Egonu (1931 – 1996) An introspective, deeply private artist in his lifetime, Uzo Egonu’s reputation has grown steadily in Nigeria in the past decade or so. Part of the reason for this is the increased interest in the art of modernist pioneers like Ben Enwonwu, Abayomi Barber, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Yussuf Grillo, Jimo Akolo and
10 Jan How to love your artworks
Collecting art can be the beginning of a life-long romance. And like the best romantic encounters it needs nurture and some attention. So, here are a few guidelines to always remember in this love affair. Where to hang your artwork Artworks generally need minimal maintenance once they are displayed or stored properly. Avoid direct sunlight
20 Dec Tribal
02 Oct Barber – Sculptor and Painter
Is Abayomi Barber a painter or a sculptor? Most people would say painter. His surrealist paintings are easily recognizable and have enchanted art enthusiasts for decades. Landscapes, brimming with hidden objects; incredibly detailed character studies that meld reality and fantasy. Yet Barber has always viewed himself as much a sculptor as a painter – maybe
25 Sep Kine Aw’s art
Kine Aw’s themes are inspired by the world of women in the Sahel: round forms, beauty, tradition versus modernity. Most of her paintings and sketches have a distinct cubist style, characterised by organic geometric forms. She utilizes powerful outlines in various colours to create artworks that explore the universe of women. Her art tackles
26 Jul Kaloki Nyamai – The past, the present and the future
Mr Trump, in colourful language says, we are inferior countries. We bristle. How dare he? But we also question ourselves. Might he be right? Whose fault is it? The colonialist who eviscerated our pre-colonial systems and who still treat us like indulged children? Or should we blame ourselves? Should we be hopeful? Have we been
23 Jul Sunny side up – Kofi Agorsor’s abstract canvases
The title of the artwork ‘Accumulated Wealth’ is deceptive. It’s understandable to see it as a paean to the virtues of the accumulation of riches. It is not. That’s not to say Kofi Agorsor has anything against riches. He does not. In this artwork and in many of his other abstract artworks, he views wealth
21 Jul Side by Side – Camara Gueye
The sweeper sweeps a lonely street in Dakar. It’s a hard, thankless job. It doesn’t pay him a lot. But he must earn a living. Nobody notices him. Except the man sitting at the street corner, who is probably worse off. He’s unemployed. The sweeper sweeps. The chicken gets out of the way. The job
17 Jul Papers of Freedom
My uncle, Eddy, lived in Leeds, UK for many years. He schooled and worked there before returning to Nigeria in the eighties. He didn’t burn his passport when he returned but, I suspect he vowed never to return to Leeds. He was sick of living in a foreign country where he didn’t belong. He got
28 Jun Onobrakpeya’s Musicians
Since respect for elders is all the rage at the moment, we thought we’d praise the ultimate elder, Bruce Onobrakpeya – the storyteller of Agbarha-Otor, master printmaker, probably Nigeria’s most famous living artist, and certainly the most influential over the past 5 decades. The artwork ‘Musicians’, is a rare sketch on aluminium printer’s plate done
24 May Towards Beauty – Abiodun Olaku
You might not see a link between the Niger Delta landscape and the Argungu festival in the North. But then you’re not Abiodun Olaku. Olaku is obviously one of the country’s most respected artists. He has earned his reputation the hard way or maybe the beautiful way, judging by his paintings. Olaku has worked consistently