While the Nigerian visual art landscape features many highly-talented artists, there are a few who have distinguished themselves through their rare creative ingenuity.
Of course, Alimi Adewale ranks among these art greats.
Though young, Alimi, a multidisciplinary artist, has through hard work and sheer creativity, joined the esteemed league of contemporary masters.
Also, he has many works, exhibitions and projects to his credit, including solo shows.
Riding on his many successful shows, Alimi is once again engaging his fans, art lovers, collectors and the general public with another enthralling exhibition.
Tagged, ‘Eternal Forms’, the solo exhibition is a two-part show located in Victoria Island, Lagos and is being presented by O’DA Art Gallery.
It weaves together the enigmatic tapestry of cave paintings, dynamic female portraiture, and a collection of sculpture pieces that explore the human form in all its glory.
Through a cohesive body of work, the exhibition reflects upon the earth’s timelessness, the transformative power of femininity, and the universal language of art.
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At the gallery, Alimi strikes a balance between contemporary art and semiological archaeology, while presenting intellectual rigour and the notions of an unspoiled Eden of antiquity.
From the Timeless Tales Series, which interchanges between private and playful, contemporary and historical; to his long-standing interest in portraiture and figuration depicted in his Ethereal Gaze I-V and his Mother Nature sculptures, Adewale presents an opportunity to reframe and reexamine people’s understanding of femininity, power, and the relationship between humanity and the earth.
Alimi’s idiosyncratic sculptural language is predicated on three factors: laboriously acquired skills, extensive technical knowledge and clearly defined aesthetic standards. This is evident in the Mercedes display of the “Eternal Forms” exhibition, which consists of one bronze sculpture (Nature’s Guardian) and five wood sculptures (Symbiotic Connection). At just over 6 feet, these works are imposing marvels of mass and weight, solidity and artistic flair. This is amplified by the fact that they only depict the head and neck which at such height and bulk, demand attention and look surreal.
This is as we celebrate the mysteries of the past, an exploration of the present, and an invitation to embrace our responsibility as stewards of our planet.
The exhibition runs at two locations in Lagos. It opens on July 15, 2023, and runs through August 19, 2023, at O’DA Art Gallery located at #10, Sir Samuel Manuwa Street and Mercedes Benz Center, #37 Akin Adesola Street, both in Victoria Island, Lagos.
