Yinka Olatunbosun
One of Nigeria’s contemporary artists, Elizabeth Chioma Ekpetorson is set for a solo exhibition tomorrow Saturday June 19 at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos. The exhibition which runs till June 25 is titled ‘Different Shades of Being.’ The show is Ekpetorson’s second solo exhibition and it is organised by Affordable Art Online, the promoters of the Annual Ibadan Art fair.
Ekpetorson, also known as Eleez, is a non-binary artist from Nigeria. Born in April 1991, she holds her BA in Fine Art and Design from the University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers state. After her Internship at the Universal Studios of Art, Lagos, Nigeria, the Lagos-based artist embarked on an independent studio practice. She has participated in various art exhibitions in Nigeria and abroad.
In creating the works for ‘Different Shades of Being’, the artist who was coping with depression created the works as a diary of how she felt, manifesting in the series ‘duality of nature’ and ‘two seasons’. With this exhibition, the artist preaches acceptance of each individual’s unique nature and being because as humans we are blessed with variety and different ways of thinking and of living.
“What I do isn’t an integral aspect, or a percentage, rather it is me in entirety. It is safe to say it does not start at one point to end at another, but present in all facets. My experiences in life inform my artistic practice in the same way the art in itself continues to have tremendous influence over my existence. In rendering my compositions, I employ human forms as muse, thereby harnessing my feelings, conjuring memories and putting a stamp on the feeling resident in my work.
“In the past, I have encircled my works within an impressionist – cubist root, right now, all art movement labels are stripped off. The motive is to not be boxed up within an identity that does nothing but inhibit artistic possibilities. For a spontaneous practice as mine, it has proven to be not just a box, but a cage. I am an artist of diverse expressions, with a penchant for nudes and portraits, the drive is to reveal authentic personalities underneath veils, also highlighting the importance of perceiving beyond physical attributes,” she said.
She added that through her works, she seeks to draw attention to self-acceptance: embracing one’s self unconditionally, without fear or exception.
“In telling my story, a large portion is dedicated to women, I paint for the shamed or silenced select of them, untangling their limitations and emboldening them via my art. Ultimately, my art is towards humanity, let every human breathe and be recklessly free. I enjoin each spectator to let go of prejudices based on the exterior, excavate into the distinct characteristic of each entity, animate or inanimate,” she added.
