Evoking Memories with an Exhibition at Terra Kulture

Evoking Memories with an Exhibition at Terra Kulture

Yinka Olatunbosun

Some memories are best forgotten. But with the quintessential contemporary artist, Innocent Chikezie, memory is ‘a place of refuge in times of stress and a bank vault of experiences that make life worth living.’ It is against this backdrop that he presents a solo exhibition tomorrow September 11 at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos.

With 20 pieces of acrylic paintings, he is bound to charm the viewers with the beautiful play of colours on canvas at the show titled ‘Memorable Glimpse.’ The MA Fine Art graduate at Nottingham Trent University, UK felt his first bout of loneliness when he embarked on his post-graduate studies in the UK.

“I felt culture shock so bad because I was so attached to my home. The childhood memories became stronger,’’ he recounted in an electronic chat.

That memory proved to be his succor through that difficult time. He delved deeper into traditional paintings that for that nativity. Through this body of works, he interrogates memory in the frame of the human consciousness in ‘Memory Glimpse.’

“Memorable glimpse is all about how to conquer that inner voice and embrace the challenges, shun narrow-mindedness and develop a greater capacity for enthusiasm to grind my way up the ladder in my art career,’’ he revealed in his artist statement.

Chikezie’s works had been featured in an exhibition in the Nottingham City Council with rave reviews and interviews in both print and electronic media in the UK.

With skills honed from his days at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, he recreates the dynamic of rural life against a backdrop of indigenous African landscape. His paintings are animated with strong expressions reflecting his ancestral roots. With the benefit of hindsight, he projects his desire to export the cultural identity of African beauty and lifestyle through his recreation of immersive sceneries. The Port-Harcourt based artist is a member of the Portrait Society of America, SAA Britain, and Society of Nigerian Artists.

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