Since the weekend of February 26, 2022, the Nigerian visual art circle has been bubbling with a creative showcase of ingenious works by one of the outstanding contemporary artists in the country, Kolawole K. Olojo-Kosoko.
Olojo-Kosoko, a multidisciplinary artist, has truly distinguished himself in his visual art career for over two decades and the evidence is seen in the sheer creative ingenuity he displayed in his works being presented at Entities & Identities, his solo exhibition, currently running at Mydrim Gallery, Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Lovers of art, collectors and visitors who have been to the Ikoyi-based gallery since February 26th when the exhibition opened are overwhelmed by Olojo-Kosoko and his output.
There are 35 works (from not too recent to recent ones) across painting and print media, to see and most probably buy because of the creator, their quality and store of wealth value.
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You need to visit and see the exhibition because Olojo-Kosoko is highly skilled with works that are highly sought-after, yet his humility and sheer creative ingenuity speak volume of his personality.
The University of Benin, Obafemi Awolowo University Ife trained artist has over the years mastered his craft amid excelling in other related fields.
Olojo-Kosoko, who is also the president, Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Lagos Chapter, is a multidisciplinary artist. In his over decades of practice, he has worked in several fields including; textile, interior decoration, draftsmanship-architecture, building design, theatre industry, visual art and lecturing.
In view of these many callings, Olojo-Kosoko is trailing his journey so far with the solo exhibition that displays works that reflect on these journeys; from undergraduate, post-graduate, studio practices, and his other career stages.
Speaking on the exhibition, Olojo-Kosoko noted that it is his debut solo and is a must-see because of the quality and rarity of his works.
Again, the works, according to him, trail his career and even life journeys, hence offering viewers and the public exclusivity and parts of his life.
But most importantly, it will shock many who are used to his works as the exhibition will present ‘something new’.
“The theme for the exhibition is more or less the journey of my life and that will shock so many people next week when the exhibition opens because they will be expecting landscape or some particular works. But I am versatile and it will show in this exhibition”, he said.
Speaking further, he noted that all the works will reflect his different stages. “I started with textile, I moved to interior decoration, I did a little bit of draftsmanship-architecture, I worked in an engineering firm, I do building design, I also found myself within the theatre industry in Onikan with the Lagos State Council for Art and Culture, from there I technically move art, that is visual art, to Lagos State Polytechnics, University of Benin and OAU for my Masters Degree.
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“These are the things that informed the theme of the exhibition; Entities and Identities and you are going to see the reflections of my journey from those eras”, he said.
The impact of his tutelage at Kunle Adeyemi Studios for print works, some reflections of the Yaba School, through the influence by Olaku, who trained him during his Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) at the National Studio, which later became Universal Studio, among other influences will also reflect in the works.
On its part, Mydrim Gallery expressed excitement over Olojo-Kosoko’s solo exhibition, describing him as one its cherished artists based on his topnotch quality of work, consistency and personality.
David Oluwatoyin, assistant curator, Mydrim Gallery, noted that the gallery is excited to present the solo exhibition and also ready for collaboration with Olojo-Kosoko and other artists.
Entities & Identities runs from February 26-March 12, 2022 at Mydrim Gallery, Norman Williams Street, Ikoyi, Lagos.
