‘Hairdo’ by Sam Ovraiti and ‘Beloved’ by Maxwell Boadi Two very different styles.One is so gentle it eases your soul. Ovraiti, a master of the subtle gesture, creates a painting that melds the women and their background, creating a rich, mellow interaction. Boadi’s Father figure is aggressive and bold dominating the picture with his desire.
Excerpt from ‘Crowds & Queens – The Art of Ablade Glover’ by Dozie Igweze Shirley Du Bois Shirley Du Bois was, at the time, one of the most influential people in Ghana. She was the head of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, a close confidante of Kwame Nkrumah and the wife of the African American activist,
Gani Odutokun worked and exhibited, mainly, in the eighties and early nineties. He studied art at Ahmadu Bello University and went on to lecture there. He was at the forefront of a new generation of post-independence artists. He was intellectual, bold and curious – rooted in a philosophical approach, while constantly evolving. His artworks were
Justus Kyalo is Kenyan. He lives and works in Nairobi. Living in Kenya and being Kenyan locates his work and contextualizes it, at least, in a historical sense. But not really. Kyalo in his artistic expression does not see himself as Kenyan, or African. He is simply human – of the world. And an artist.
We are presenting 4 drawings by Ben Enwonwu at the gallery.The drawings span a period between 1946 and 1970, and were probably preliminary sketches for sculptures and paintings – a visual diary. They are an interesting insight into Enwonwu’s work methods, as well as, historically important documents about one of Africa’s most significant artists.
Like many Ablade Glover artworks, there are multiple layers to this piece. There is the elegant profile – the strong, resilient, graceful African queen. Then there is the amazing use of movement, colour and layering to create a visually compelling multi-layered canvas. It feels like a vast terrain – hills, crevices, valleys. There’s so much
Obi Ekwenchi’s artworks have always had a magical quality, probably because of his nuanced colours.He has always been able to present the subjects in his artworks with warmth, compassion, and a certain dignity. Ekwenchi was born in 1959. He studied Fine and Applied Arts at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu and got
Abiodun Olaku had a brief stay at the Mushin area of Lagos in his early days as an artist. He wandered the streets in the evenings, intrigued by the mix of chaos and energy. ‘GRA – Government Rejected Area’ and ‘Mushin at night’ present Mushin from the artist’s eyes. “GRA”, a night-time landscape explores the
We’ve opened a framing section.Now you can get some really amazing frames for your artworks. Acid-free tapes, high-end mount boards, quality wood frames, water-resistant backboards…We’re ensuring your artworks get museum quality treatment.
Abiodun Olaku is, in some sense, an embodiment of Yussuf Grillo and Kolade Oshinowo. Not stylistically. He evolved his own unique art sensibility decades ago and has continued in that direction. His path has proved so alluring that it has attracted imitators, students, followers… His brand of realism has opened our eyes to the beauty
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
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
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
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
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
Glover’s Lorry Station It’s a scene Glover has explored consistently – the bustle at Accra lorry stations. The lorries with their crazy signs and graffiti – a raucous, moving display panel for goods and wacky ideas; the passengers getting on, getting off, always moving. As with many of his themes, he finds order and rhythm
1969. Bruce Onobrakpeya would create his Station of the Cross paintings for St. Paul’s Church, Ebute Metta. He would go on to create these artworks as etchings. With the consent of the Church priest, Father Kevin Carroll, Onobrakpeya interpreted the idea of the Stations of the Cross as a local event using African characters to