By Prisca Sam-Duru

Hunting as a vocation in Africa is fast becoming history and one can’t help but wonder why an artist’s interest in such nearly extinct profession isn’t on the decline.

Part of Titi Omoighe’s inspiration which was drawn from the famous literary works of D. O. Fagunwas’ Ogboju Ode, Ninu Igbo Irumale, translated into English by Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called A forest of thousand Demons, ignited the African spirit in her on- going exhibition.

Being her 7th solo exhibition, Omoighe’s sophisticated modernist paintings titled, Modern Interpretations, opened on June 3rd at Temple Muse, Lagos.

Modern Interpretations, curated by SMO Contemporary Art, presents 34 paintings. It offers a rare perspective on traditional African forms from a little known academic whose interpretation of traditional philosophy, literature, and cultural identity, shows a refreshing maturity and nuanced artistic breadth.

Viewers are already savouring stunning works by the emerging artist who flaunts a strong historical sensibility that promotes Nigeria’s rich culture through a finely honed, fresh creative voice never heard of before. The exhibition, sponsored by luxury house and Moet Hennessey, runs until August 30, 2017.

The works on display are divided into two broad categories, namely, the emerging artist’s recent works which depict her exploring abstract techniques using splashes and dribbles of color, reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s style, and drawing on her fascination with water based pigments and the linear features on traditional textiles, pottery and wall paintings.  And of course, her earlier, more impressionistic Hunter Series inspired by D.O. Fagunwa’s Yoruba literary classic, ‘Forest of a Thousand Daemons’, The hunter series illustrate the tale of a group of hunters as they journey through an enchanted forest on a quest to save humanity. Each canvass illustrates vividly each process or stage the hunters go through to catch their prey.  The artist draws deeply from the fantastical world of Yoruba mythology which are further translated into vibrant paintings with elongated human forms.

The canvases according to the curator of the exhibition, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago,  ”Reflect  both the physical action of characters in search of higher meaning while engulfed in “other-worldly” adventure, as well as deftly draws us into the emotional and spiritual landscapes of memory, longing and revelation.”

Modern Interpretations provides a fresh and interesting perspective on traditions in which the “African essence” and way of life is presented through nuanced indigenous symbols. “Titi’s fascination with Nigeria’s ancient Benin Kingdom in Edo State, shows an insightful analysis of complex philosophy and forms. We follow Titi’s lines and recognize a gesture or scene, the mysterious pose of a transcendental masquerade, the royal gaze of a king on his subjects, the repose of a hunter after the kill, or the complex rules and rites of traditional youth groups vis-a-vis the hierarchy of elders and indigenous social systems.”

Amazed by the artist’s ingenuity, Dr. Jean Borgatti, Consulting Curator of the Fitchburg Art Museum in the United States, and Professor at the University of Benin, where Omoighe is currently pursuing her doctoral studies, stated that “If Titilayo follows in the footsteps of the Abstract Expressionists, she takes their ideas in a new direction, imbuing them with a distinctly personal flavor and African subject matter.”

Titi Omoighe, described as an academic with the soul of a dreamer, stands out in so many ways apart from her fascination for African lifestyle.

The 1989 graduate of Fine Art from the Yaba College of Technology is also unique for her interest in painting the