Once again, Thought Pyramid Art Center, Ikoyi, Lagos, will be witnessing a beehive of visitors, especially art lovers, who will visit to see New Era, an enthralling solo exhibition by Emmanuel Bankole.
In the exhibition, Bankole, a graduate of Tai Solarin University of Education, who had his training under Abiodun Badejo, an accomplished visual art master, will be showcasing deeply themed works under seven collage.
The works include; Tree of Purpose, Emi Mimo, The Potter and the Clay, The Genesis of Creation, The Comforting Pain, Free Will: Life or Death and The Reveal.
The solo show, which is curated by Mathew Oyedele, runs from August 26-27, 2023 at Thought Pyramid Art Center, Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
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There are many reasons to see the exhibition.
First, the depth of Bankole’s works is intriguing, considering his years of practice. Again, his colours are intense, the details are painstaking, the symbols are heavy.
The common features of his works are trees, doves, faces, rays, doors, crosses, men, which are not just assemblage or collage.
In his curatorial statement, Mathew Oyedele said, New Era is a showcase of mixed media works that examines purpose, discovery, liberation and cooperation.
Speaking further, the curator said that Bankole’s exploration of fabric as a medium was influenced by Adewale Ojo, who worked with the material in his presence, as the outcome enticed Bankole who thereafter experimented with the material until it became his preferred medium.
“In this exhibition, medium-sized fabric collage works are presented as a peep into the artist’s oeuvre. His process begins with a tour of fabric markets in Agége and Ìdúmòtà where he purchases large yards of fabrics in order to maintain consistency of colour and pattern.
“He thereafter cut them into bits before subjecting them to other processes like pasting and fixing. His subjects are theologically and biblically driven, having grown up in a christian household.
“With this exhibition, Bankole hopes to enlighten the audience with a purpose driven life of infinite insight and potential,” Oyedele said.
New Era runs for two days at Thought Pyramid Art Center, Ikoyi, Lagos, from August 26-27, 2023 from 2 pm. It also continues on social media platforms, particularly Twitter, where Bankole has many followers and collectors.
