19 Feb Two Figures – Awolowo and Barber

Sometimes, an artist becomes inextricably linked with a public figure, and this connection endures even after their passing. Abayomi Barber worked in Oscar Nemon’s studio in the late 1960s. Nemon, a Croatian sculptor who had fled the Nazis and settled in London, was one of the preeminent sculptors of his time. He had created numerous

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15 Feb Abayomi Barber On Display

We’ve created our ‘On Display’ series to give you a focused viewing experience. Each time, we’ll showcase a collection of works from a single artist in one of our upper rooms—for about a week. It’s a great opportunity to take in a curated selection of their work in an intimate setting. We’re kicking things off

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06 Feb Abayomi Barber – The Real and the Surreal

The art of the surreal is fast disappearing, giving way to certainty, specificity, abstraction, and a more concrete form of storytelling. Yet, Abayomi Barber may well be Nigeria’s first—and perhaps truest—surrealist. Barber began his artistic journey sculpting and painting realistic figures, displaying an exceptional eye for detail from an early age. His transition to surrealism

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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

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03 Oct Masters as Servants

Text for The Master’s Exhibition Catalogue 2018 by Mydrim Gallery   Masters as Servants Service There are no masters here. Not in a conventional sense, anyway. These are not wondrous, other-worldly beings floating in a bubble of their success. No, these are no masters. These are servant, when you think about it. They have toiled

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