‘Moult’, an enthralling exhibition to see this summer

As summer holiday beckons, it offers lovers of visual art, collectors and the general public the opportunity to enjoy the best of art shows.

One of the enthralling summer art shows, particularly in Lagos, is titled ‘Moult’. It is a duo exhibition by Adewole Damola and Tomiwa Arobieke; two fast-rising contemporary artists.

The exhibition opens from July 21 till August 6, 2023, at Soto Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos and it is presented by MBPR Agency in partnership with iDesign Art.

The joint exhibition is also an exposition of the creative journeys of the two youthful artists.

Meanwhile, the title of the exhibition is derived from the word ‘moutan’, which means “the shedding of feathers, hair or skin”. But ‘Moult’, the origin of the word, dates to the 1400s. Moutan is a tall shrubby peony tree, native to China and Tibet with stems that regrow from the buds after each growing season. The exhibition’s theme alludes to transformation and is curated to juxtapose twenty of the artist’s new and old works to showcase the change in their style and thought process within a year of growth, aided by studio practice and research.

Read also: How Azekwoh is revolutionising African arts

Therefore, ‘Moult’ is indeed an aperture into the world of mutual creativity.

Adewole Damola (b. 1995), in Ibadan, is a contemporary visual representational artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a Higher National Diploma from Yaba College of Technology, Yaba Lagos, where he groomed his turf in visual art under the tutelage of Akinola Ebenezer, a renowned artist and curator. Using acrylic on canvas, he explores diverse mediums of drawing with the hope of producing more varied forms in future. With a knack for the superimposition of subtle uses of colour and styles, Adewole tells stories of an individual, sometimes challenging the propriety of culture or lifestyle. Some of his works are in various private collections in the UK and India.

On the other hand, Tomiwa Arobieke (b.1999), a native of Ogun State, was born in Ibadan, Oyo State. He graduated with a National Diploma in Science Laboratory Technology from the Polytechnic of Ibadan. Arobieke, who began painting as a child, has honed his craft through rigorous years of practice. His works are reflective of African lifestyles as manifested in strong relationships. While romanticising nature, Arobieke creates pieces that embody joy and pleasure.