EXHIBITION
Yinka Olatunbosun
The Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja is the home to the latest collection of Sylvester Aguddah, a collage artist with a restless spirit. Drawing upon his knack for assembling pieces to make a whole, Aguddah has attracted a spectrum of high-profile celebrities and art enthusiasts who soak in the beauty embedded in each piece. His latest solo exhibition dubbed Sylvester Aguddah reflects his growth in the use of techniques that draw upon varied materials. At his exhibition opening last Sunday July 18, the self-taught artist revealed the nature of his works in this show.
“Asides my signature style which is collage, I find myself exploring more media of art which include spray on canvas, sketches, photo art and painting. Recently, I have been working with wire strips and broken pieces of frames and it has been quite amazing and fulfilling journey,’’ he revealed in his artist statement. His metallic statements are accentuated with the use of bold colours in pieces like “Bicycle” and “Danfo”.
In “Atampa”, one could see a mixed media collage that utilises pieces of fabric to make an exciting piece. With “Eyo”, Aguddah makes a significant cultural imprint on canvas. Alluding to the Eyo festival also known as the Adamou Orisa, the painting illustrates the Yoruba festival celebrated in Lagos Island. With no fixed date on the calendar, the Eyo festival was known to only take place when a King or important Chief passed away. The Eyo Masquerades come out in their throngs to escort the soul of the departed and/or to usher in the new leader.
The curator for the show, Ifeanyichukwu Oraemeka,described Aguddah as a prolific contemporary artist, whose art is an ever-changing and growing interpretation of his love for Africa, interactions, experiences, human knowledge and nature.
“This exhibition evinces his prolific renditions and highlights a hobby, cycling, which he says liberates him and has been an influence in his freedom to create art,” she said.
