While many who are not happy with the situation of things in the country go about saying negative things and even posting bad images of the country on social media, Akeem Adeleke, a contemporary Nigerian visual artist, is using his art for positive campaigns for Nigeria.
Most importantly, he paints a better future he envisages and is exhibiting some of those pictures in his exhibition entitled, ‘Light Resolution’
The exhibition opened yesterday Sunday, November 20, 2022, and will run until November 24th at the National Museum Onikan, Lagos.
It is Adeleke’s second solo outing and it features 17 works all created in less than two months.
It is curated by Mathew Oyedele and sponsored by Legacy Empire Gallery, LLC, which manages Adeleke.
Speaking on the use of light, the artist said, “I am using the work to prophesize the good life I want for my country. Many people asked me why I paint Nigeria with light and I told them that we cannot keep doing and saying bad things about Nigeria, we need to do things differently and raise hope and that is why I painted my works in this exhibition with light.”
The uniqueness of 17 works is their presentation in large formats of 5-8 feet.
“I love large works because they will show you strength and weakness. Large works challenge my ability and I respond by raising my painting,” he said in explanation of his love for large paintings.
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As well, Mathew Oyedele, in his curatorial statement offered more explanation on the title and message of the exhibition saying that Nigeria may be the giant of Africa, but one of its biggest problems is irregular power supply. The poor power situation has paralyzed economic activities, hindering economic development.
Following the artist’s journey to investigate Nigeria’s electricity problem, Adeleke continues his exploration through painting on the theme of power outage.
“In this body of work, he explores the themes of epileptic electricity, resolution, class struggle, and human relationships.
“The first section, which consists of two distinct parts, takes an in-depth look at the history of Nigeria, with the artist metaphorically highlighting the failure of the electricity sector and its impact on the daily life of the average citizen through the confrontation of light and darkness,” the curator said.
Speaking further, Oyedele noted that each piece in the section illuminates how the struggle for electricity affects the masses and the economic development of the country as a whole and that Adeleke is interested in how we can solve the problems as a nation and what can serve as a catalyst for the future of the energy sector.
“The second part of the exhibition deals with the relationships between people. It is about the human spirit and sharing our inner light and knowledge. How we unconsciously allow other people to radiate through our actions and interactions. In the third part, the artist explores horses as metaphors for strength, forward movement, progress and power.
“The audience is invited to enter the space and connect with shared stories about social issues, solutions, human relationships and psychology,” he concluded.
Light Resolution, which opened on November 20, 2022, will run until November 24, 2022 at National Museum Onikan, Lagos and it is sponsored by Legacy Empire Gallery, LLC.
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