Art-at-Ouida is a walk-through exhibition space, showing accessible, contemporary artworks that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Utilising the three floors of the newly-refurbished Ouida, this exhibition takes you on a journey through the Arts. At Ouida, you are sure to find something to fall in love with.
Curator’s Note
We are half way through our series of monthly exhibitions yet it feels like our maiden edition. This month’s participating artists are creative, dynamic and down to earth! And with the support from Sterling Bank plc, we look forward to a fusion of ideas that can help to positively impact creative communities within and beyond the shores of Nigeria.
The three-person show this month features prints on matte art paper as well as unique works rendered using oil, acrylic, watercolour and plastic bags! Fiyin Koko, Kris Russo and Foluso Oguntoye use their various practices to deeply explore key parts of our existence that we directly or indirectly refuse to cherish or confront, as the case may be. We are implored to look into parts of our existence that we ought to recognise, conserve and celebrate.
From the personal to the political, this month’s curated exhibition brings together richly orchestrated figurative, botanical and abstract illustrations that carry profound messages about the symbolic and physical importance of feminine resilience, nature, spirituality and love.
Fiyin Koko’s portrayal of feminine resilience is harmonious. Her bold colour palette compliments love for self and others. The series of paintings titled, “You Have My Back” and “And I Have Yours” have been used as a vehicle for communicating the myriad of issues indigenous to women. Experiences of contemporary life peculiar to her and other women are what forms the subject of her paintings. This adoption of truth-telling and a fondness for the community of black women is sure to impart togetherness.
The plastic bag, a visually rich and tactile material, is what Kris Russo uses to explore themes of community, consumerism, play, spirituality and love. Her “stained plastic” works either as flat cut-outs or collages, serve as mandalas of hope and responses to issues of our times. She has used play as a powerful tool to criticise issues that we feel too overwhelmed to confront. This everyday product reminds us of our responsibility to our world and even beyond (see “Devotion to Heavenly Bodies” and “Samsara”).
Stemming from his experiential relationship with nature, Foluso Oguntoye presents ten artworks that urge us to live in harmony with our environment. He not only poses questions as seen in “Can the Plant Realise Itself…?”, he also profers mantras and thoughts that help to navigate our daily existence (see “We Can Mend This Broken World”). Foluso presents us with the endless power of plants. The exhibited works highlight their ability to provide shelter, oxygen, food, and healing.
In all, the featured artists encourage us ‘to return’ and embrace – nature, feminine energy, our environment, and our immediate communities. As the famous Maya Angelou quote goes, “if you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going.”
Thank you for supporting us!
Seun Alli
Curator and Founder, JCAA
