There are many elements in this artwork that are unmistakably Ablade Glover—and yet, it stands apart from much of his other work. The theme of market women is a prominent and recurring subject in Glover’s paintings. We also see women with babies strapped to their backs, a familiar motif across his body of work. But
No. 5 Words We did a book on Professor Glover. He loved it. The idea was to have a book that presents his art and his life; a book that gives artists, collectors – everyone really – an insight into the events that shaped the artist. The exhibition ended on the 19th of December, 2022.
No. 4. Interactions. Exhibitions are great for talking to the artist and talking to friends. We learn a little more about the artist and his art; and we enjoy great company. The exhibition continues till the 19th of December, 2022.
No. 3. Stories You. The artwork. The artist’s story. Your story. The artist presents the artwork. But that’s not the end of the story. There’s also your story – your ideas about life, color, images… Your relationship with the artwork is a unique story. It’s been fascinating to see how viewers have interacted with Ablade Glover’s
No. 2. GreatnessProfessor Glover talked about his life and his experiences during the press interviews before the exhibition opening. He also spoke briefly during the exhibition. To listen to him is to understand that greatness isn’t manufactured overnight. His greatness comes from talent. But also from diligence, perseverance and toil. Fifty decades of consistent hard
No 1. Space.We wanted to create the right space to unfurl the amazing artistic journey of the great artist, Ablade Glover. We wanted you to walk in, feel the breadth of his art, but also feel the inter-connectedness of the artworks. We wanted to take you on a tour of the artist’s life – Accra markets,
It’s hard to imagine how Ablade Glover’s energetic, almost aggressive attacks on his canvas might translate to paper. Many of the elements of his art – the layering of colour, the chaos of paint, the fluid inter-connection between colours – seem to suggest that his art is suited for oil, rather than pencil, or charcoal
The strongest trees grow and flourish through the years.We wish you the strength, grace and endurance to flourish in the new year.
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
‘To be a man is not a day job.’ I always liked that sticker. I remember it from the buses zooming all over Lagos years ago. There were lots of stickers on those buses, like weird, mobile graffiti walls. That particular sticker stayed with me though. Probably because of the typo. Each time I read
My mother has never met the artist, Ablade Glover. She likes a few of his artworks on my wall but, I suspect, not enough to want to know too much about the man and his art. Yet, I’ve always thought that there’s a strong link between Glover and my mother. And every other African woman, actually.
He welcomed me with a smile. He was wearing a paint-spattered T-shirt and a pair of shorts; looking quite dishevelled in a ‘busy artist’ sort of way, yet remarkably dignified. His studio was littered with empty tubes of paint, like some sort of random installation. The table had packets of unopened paint tubes arranged quite neatly.