There may be a notion that these works of art are probably pictures but erase that thought because they are paintings, hyper realistic ones that feels so real ,the crowd here can’t resist to take a closer look at the works on display, works done by 10 talented young hands that put the d in the details. The medley of seeing all sorts of art in the same room inspired the theme for the show, individually they are strong but coming together brings so much energy into the room. The Omenka gallery is collaborating with the Frot Foundation to support these artists so the world can know that the future of the creative industry is bright. They work with charcoal, graphite, acrylic, pastel, oil and wood on over 30 works of art with titles such as famished, message from the sea, engrossed, story from April, it’s left to you just to mention a few. The artists talk about what inspired them to do this They are not oblivious of what’s happening in their environment, so they talk about the issues they are passionate about the only way they know how. The exhibition titled insanity is the first in the series that’s according to the organisers as they have a mission to keep the arts scene vibrant and alive. And after getting a taste of what’s more to come, the audience will surely be looking forward to the next series. The signature gallery is filled with works of art done by contemporary artist, Nyemike Onwuka, some paintings, drawings and installations all looking at one issue, slavery. But he’s exploring this issue from a different perspective, not from the days of yore but modern bondage and he speaks first hand to those who have lived to tell their tale which is reflected in the works seen here. He also points fingers at those who started the fire, the slave drivers who under the guise of modernity abuse those under their care and put them in bondage. This installation titled gridlock, vividly captures this message, Nyemike adds colour to the cage which is surrounded by chains and clothes of children, creating an imagery of a happy sad moment If that does make you quiver at the thought of what’s really happening right now then this series takes a more subtle approach to a deep and depressing topic. The title match with the drawings, we speak, we see, we hear and we conquer. The artist uses two subjects to capture this issue women and children, this artist has always had a knack for reproducing great expressions of the female figure in all he beauty and glory but not this time, now he sees her a bit differently, is all that beauty only skin deep, else why are these children suffering? Who bore them? Who makes them go out and trade? Who is not taking care of them? These and many more questions is what’s plaguing this artists mind and he releases them using earthy tones with images on large canvases so there's no doubt about the subject its crystal clear ,in other instances some black and white drawings to installations. According to the artist, he’s not alluding to the fact that all of them are bad eggs but there’s no doubt that the bad ones exist and need to be removed. With Exodus, the artist is adding his voice to those asking for the need to change society for the better so it’s more than art for art sake, art should make a difference and cause people to think and do things properly.
When you hear the title of some exhibition, it makes you wonder what the curator or the artist
is trying to achieve or trying to say. Like, what's the connection? But when you look at the
works of art, probably, and listen to the artist speak, then you get a sense of what he's driving
at. And we'll understand Yemike's solo, which he calls Exodus. It almost sounds like Bob Marley's
song, right? And a group exhibition called Insanity. I know that one is already making
you wonder. But just sit back, relax. That's part of our lineup on this week's edition of
Art House. A warm welcome. I'm Melinda Akinlami. Even in silence, we are living our stories.
About 10 artists display hyper-realistic works of art in an exhibition at Omenka Gallery in
Lagos. Now, some of the works you're about to see look so real, you think they're pictures.
Take a look. There may be a notion that these works of art are probably pictures,
but erase that thought, because they are paintings, hyper-realistic ones that feel so real.
The fact that they're able to, with accuracy, depict nature, and they've actually taken some
facets of human anatomy and made it so real that it actually jumps out of the picture plane.
So it's something we're very impressed with, and that's why we decided that,
you know, it's high time we give them a show.
The crowd here can't resist to take a closer look at the works on display.
Works done by 10 talented young hands that put the D in the details.
Well, there are different types of art, you know. There are those who do realism,
there are those who do surrealism, there are those who do impressionist,
there are those who are very into the contemporary movement. I think that
we have a very plural art society here, where you have different kinds of artists
practicing different genres of art, and I think that's what makes Nigerian art very exciting.
The medley of seeing all sorts of art in the same room inspired the theme for the show.
Individually, they are strong, but coming together brings so much energy into the room.
One of the things that is beautiful about them is the fact that not all of them are
formally trained artists. Only one of them has actually studied art at the University of Lagos.
But it's an incredible show, and we're very happy to be part of it.
Jamenka Gallery is collaborating with the Frott Foundation to support these artists
so the world can know that the future of the creative industry is bright.
It's an exhibition of young talents that we have discovered in our society, and we felt
the only way that the world can know about them is to bring them together under one roof
in an exhibition like this. And we looked around, and one of the very few people or
institutions we could rely on and talk to about this was Jamenka Gallery, because Oliver,
I've known him for quite some time now, he supports the young artists, he promotes them,
he encourages them, and besides, he is young as well, so it was easy for me to sell the idea to
him, and it was easy for him to buy into the idea.
Very impressive. Especially now that we have very young artists selling abroad,
even in auctions, in auction houses that are reputable auction houses globally,
our young artists' work they are selling abroad, and I think that's commendable.
So in comparison, I think we are doing very well. Moving forward, I think Nigerian artists
and African artists in general will move Africa beyond the shelves of Africa.
The prices for Nigerian art are increasing every day on the international scene, on the domestic
scene. I think that it can only go up. The catalogues are getting more beautiful,
some better galleries are coming out these days, are getting established these days.
The artists are getting exhibited in prestigious museums all across the world.
I think that Nigerian art can only get even higher, you know, and bring more visibility to Africa.
They work with charcoal, graphite, acrylic, pastel, oil and wood,
