By Japhet Davidson

Art lovers in and around Lagos were treated to what can be described as a special feast courtesy of one of Nigeria’s contemporary prolific artist,s Sylvester Aguddah, as he added to the number of his solo exhibitions with the successful hosting of his first solo exhibition of the year tagged: Thoughts in my head, an exhibition of his recent works.

The exhibition which as usual was well attended by many art collectors, patrons, captains of industry, students, friends and former colleagues of the self-taught artist, was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja Lagos from  8th to 10th April, 2022.

The exhibition which was put together by SylverscreenArts and curated by Ifeanyichukwu Oraemeka, featured about  60 collections of recent realistic and abstract collage and mixed media works.

The illustrations which reveal the creative ingenuity of the artist according to him, was inspired by a combination of his personal experiences, love for Africa, interactions, human knowledge and nature.

For the collage artist with a restless spirit, who has exhibited his works in numerous countries and has collectors from several places, his works explored the beauty and rights of women with focus on African women, gender equality, mental health, need for positivity and nature.

The three-day exhibition featured about 60 artworks in various media. According to the artist, “the works consist of combination of my collage work, hybrid collage made from recyled materials, spray paint on canvas, line drawing, digital art and photo art. Most of the works are faces made in forms of African mask and caricature which are depicted in rich and vibrant colours.The different emotions in the faces represented in the body of works represents some I have had to contend with.

Speaking about the works, the artist whose art has turned many bare and open spaces into a continually appealing avenue for insight, inspiration, dialogue, fantasy, and many more said: “My works explore human interactions and the struggle to remain sane in a crazy cold world. My choice of media is Godly revelations and what life shows me and has helped me utilise things that will otherwise be discarded. Each piece here is my message of hope to you.”

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One of the works that caught the fancy of many was a piece titled: Strength of a woman. And on it the artist said: “I love this piece titled Strength of a woman. Women are strong and are the window of existence. The miracle of conception and strength to carry multiple numbers of children all alone for a period. It’s amazing what they go through at child birth, they are super human. They will do all in their capacity to protect their children.

According to the curator Ify Oraemeka, “Thoughts in my head, is an exhibition exploring the new and evolving renditions in collage and mixed media works of the artist, his message of challenging self to be better, the power of positive thoughts and an imploration to you that in a world of darkness, you could be someone’s light. I hope it resonates with you.”