A Tale of Shared Experiences - An Exhibition of Beautiful Art Exploring Themes of Gender and Identity.
“Art is not a mirror to hold up to society but a hammer with which to shape it.” – Leon Trotsky.
The crux of Trotsky’s quote is that art should drive change not just reflect the status quo. We believe that art can perform both functions at once. Art can be the mirror that reflects the society in order to shape it. In this case, reflection is not an end in itself but a means to nudge society in a different direction. That’s pointing out the problem and prescribing the solution. It’s highlighting anomalies and offering normalcy. It’s calling out limiting beliefs and suggesting liberating ones. Our next exhibition, A Tale of Shared Experiences is about all this and more.
A Tale of Shared Experiences is a group exhibition featuring the works of six young Nigerian artists. The exhibition looks to question traditional views about gender roles, identities and expressions in our society. Many of these views stem from archaic cultural practices which we now know to be cagey.
We’ve seen more people kick against gender stereotypes in recent times. However, these notions are so deeply ingrained in our psyche that we cannot hope to get rid of them in a jiffy. We need to keep shining the spotlight on misconceptions and unhealthy generalizations about men and women and how they should express themselves. We need to keep pointing out the limitations different genders face due to crippling societal expectations and notions.
A Tale of Shared Experiences will challenge ideologies about what it means to be a man or woman. Through the stories portrayed by the featured artworks, we look to push the boundaries of existing views about self, gender, and identity. From July 17 – August 31, you can walk into our Lekki gallery to take in the beautiful pieces on display and mull over their resonating messages.
The Artists and their Works
Nigerian-based curator, Favour Ritaro, led the team that curated the artworks lined up for the exhibition. With her keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of our goals, she fished out six young contemporary artists who submitted brilliant entries.
James Adebayo
James’ series, ‘Hot Air Balloon” shows human figures with skins bearing butterfly patterns. The butterfly elements symbolize man’s progression from chains to freedom, dependence to independence, social justice to equity and ignorance to enlightenment, just like the caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly. Inspired by people he has met, James’ works explore the themes of womanhood and empowerment. He considers the obstacles faced by women who dream big in our patriarchal society. James believes that the more we intensify the conversations around equality, the higher women will rise in pursuit of their dreams, like hot air balloons.
Osaru Obaseki
Using sand sourced from Igun street in the ancient city of Benin and acrylic, Osaru created the series, “Standing in Her Place”, for our exhibition. The paintings question society’s unrealistic beauty standards and their negative impact on women, especially those in the media spotlight. With her colourful works featuring feminine figures, Osaru hopes to convince women that they are worth more than their physical perfection or imperfections.
Olamide Ogunade
For A Tale of Shared Experiences, Olamide put forward a series tagged “In Search of Thyself.” It interrogates the social views of masculinity and their effects on discovering and understanding oneself. By posing the question “how do you come to terms with yourself, body, and desires amid existing outdated understanding of masculinity?” Olamide challenges patriarchal thinking that prevents men from being self-loving. The figures depicted in his paintings carry emotive and piercing gazes.
Joseph Obamina
Joe’s works grip you instantly and upon further scrutiny reveal deep meanings. He calls his entry for our exhibition “The Essence of Lassie.” It’s a deep dive into the oppression women experience in a deeply patriarchal society. Drawing on symbols from African mythology, Joe depicts African women as goddesses and royals using pixelated portraits. The pixelated elements form feminine figures when viewed from a distance. However, when examined closely, they reveal specific stories of marginalized women.
Sophia Azoige
Sophia calls her body of work for the exhibition, “Inhale and Exhale.” Inspired by the people she has met, Sophia’s series uses discarded fabric and acrylic to highlight issues of self-awareness and self-love in our society. It seeks to present alternative ways of living and being. By combining critical inquiry with irony, Sophia poses these thematic questions “How do we love ourselves if we cannot be who we really are?” and “Are we living our lives or the life people want us to live?”
Victor Olaoye
Using local dyeing techniques, Victor creates art that examines the relationship and transferred energies between human bodies and worn clothing. For A Tale of Shared Experiences his series, “Conversations and Relationships”, considers the relationships that exist in our society. By erasing the body and leaving the clothes as his paintings’ major subjects, Victor raises questions about clothing and its role in shaping and expressing human identity.
The artists’ works are deeply personal. They are products of their experiences on gender-related issues which most people can relate with. As such, the exhibition is an exploration of stories shared by the artists and their audience. Then there’s the icing on the cake. The artworks won’t be telling well-known stories alone, they will also be suggesting new models of thinking about gender issues as conceived by the artists. Art is meant to shape society, remember?
Each artist employs unique creation styles and blends of art mediums to create stunning pieces. We like to think the paintings will become sticky mental images representing the stories that bind us together.
You Should Come.
From July 17 to August 31, 2021, between 10 am and 6 pm, you can stop by Artpedia Gallery, Lekki, to lose yourself in the experience we’ve cooked up. It’s a chance to appreciate stimulating and meaningful art.
Click the link to register – https://bit.ly/artpediaTSE
Watch beautiful scenes from Unfolded, our poetry, music and art event.