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 dilapidated, unplanned streets of Mushin. The more typical meaning of the abbreviation, GRA is ‘Government Reserved Area’. This colonial invention implied planning and structure. Olaku’s “GRA” is the opposite. His is neglect and decay – a city left to its own devices.
Still, in this dilapidation there is a haunting sense of beauty and strength. The artist sees the decay but also sees the beauty and the human energy.
This human energy comes through more clearly in ‘Mushin at night’
Inspired by the artist’s walkabouts, ‘Mushin at night’ is all energy and vitality. It’s a dark yet jaunty artwork that evokes the bustle of night-time Lagos.
