Yinka Olatunbosun
Seven painters. One sculptor. Each artist has three works to exhibit at the fourth edition of ‘Diversiform’- a group exhibition in Lagos that parades some of the most brilliant, predominantly young artists in Lagos. The show which started from Moor House, Ikoyi in 2018 is to be staged at TAG, The Adeline Gallery, Adeyemi Bero Crescent, Ilupeju Industrial Estate, Lagos.
An offshoot of the need to breed a class of forward-looking artists, Diversiform has been a platform for artists’ voices to be heard. Initiated by Popoola Nurudeen, an award-winning painter, the show parades a collection of culture-sensitive works that reflect and question society as well as urban culture.
For Popoola, this show is a continuation of his impressionistic style, inspired by the environment and African culture.
“One of my works to be shown is about the influence of social media on the youths. Everyone wants to take a selfie before going out. Everyone wants to post a picture on Instagram even if they have not eaten,” he said during a media chat in Lagos. Since his graduation from Yaba College of Technology, Popoola had been on a winning streak. In 2018, he received the award for the best painting/mixed media at the Life in My City Arts Festival (LIMCAF).
Ubong Etuk, the oldest of the exhibiting artists, this edition of Diversiform is a comeback. The 1991 graduate of University of Nigeria, Nsukka relishes the youthful energy in the group, describing the young artists as “the future.’’
“And sometimes, you learn from them too,” he said with a smile of satisfaction. “New ideas to tackle present-day issues come from them. Although, I try to stick with the tested and tried,” he said.
In doing so, he reaffirms his stylized abstract art forms in this show with a work that revolves around the theme of integrity, tapping from the culture of the traditional drum that was once exclusively beaten for the noble. With this work “Beat of the Ikoro,” the artist makes a valid commentary on moral decadence and inverted societal values.
“In those days when they beat the drum, it is only people who have contributed to the society positively that are recalled and talked about. It is because they have genuinely given their heart to the community. Nowadays, if they beat this drum, it is people with money that would dance,” he explained.
Edward Samuel, a mosaic artist and a LIMCAF winner brings his unrivalled style to the show by painting with tiles. “I have been doing this for eleven years,” he began. The 2010 Best graduating student in Fine Art at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Yaba had been doing commissioned jobs but creating site-specific works is not enough for this artist with a photo-realistic, impressionistic style.
“I kept experimenting and improving over the years. I didn’t see much role models in Nigeria for this specialization. I almost a self-taught artist,” he said.
Ejiofor Ogochukwu who hails from Anambra, got her BA and MFA at University of Nigeria Nsukka and University of Benin, respectively. From paintings to installations, the waste-to-wealth artist likes to explore with waste materials thus making her contribution to a cleaner earth.
A product of YABATECH and University of Lagos, Adenle Kehinde works with different art media. Kehinde has participated in very few exhibitions in spite of numerous state and federal commissioned mural projects. As a studio artist, he is currently working on synthesis in painting techniques as part of his personal studio research.
Adewale Ojo, also groomed his turf at the Yaba College of Technology plunging into a full-time studio practice. Adewale explores cultural and visual metaphor in his paintings using vibrant hues. Segun Okewumi’s energy transmutes into his didactic and reformatory creations. Using durable metallic materials, Okewumi shows a good degree of dexterity in his pieces. A committed moralist and serial art workshop attendee, his skills had been refined through art residencies that had shaped his style.
Adeyemi Oluwaseun Dare completed his Ordinary National Diploma in Art and Industrial Design at Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu where he graduated as the best of the department at the 2011/2012 session. He proceeded to obtain the Higher National Diploma where he graduated in 2016 at YABATECH. An experimental artist, Oluwaseun has participated in several group exhibitions. Clairvoyance is a two-piece work that he contributes to this show. “I got inspired to do the work from the situation of things in Nigeria, the way we view things differently and how our plans are affected by government policies. The work is a mix of plastic, rubber, rug. I don’t usually like making plain paintings. I prefer mixed media,” he said.
The show which opens on September 25 runs till October 2.
