By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

A group exhibition of contemporary art titled “Mirrors of Our Time” begins November 16, and runs till November 30, 2024 at Alexis Galleries, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The exhibition features recent works by nine artists – Arinze Stanley, Jacqueline Suowari, Ayogu Kingsley, Oliver Okolo, David Kaydee Otaru, Oscar Ukonu, Chukwuebuka Chukwuemeka, Olawale Moses and Celesta Jonah.

Each of the participating artists spoke with Vanguard Thursday during the press preview of the works for the exhibition:

Arinze Stanley who brings 4 works to the exhibition including his “Fruits of Labor”, “Communion”, “Portrait of Resilience 5, and “Under The Influence”, says “Fruits of Labor” which shows a girl holding a piece of foam which she uses to break palm kernels amid the abundant natural resources under her feet, alludes to “the struggles we, the youths in Nigeria, have to go through using very limited resources (without access to the wealth of the land) to achieve great things… even as we are surrounded by abundant wealth, and oil that comes out from our ground.”

Kingsley Ayogu, through his work titled “Innocence” addresses the problem of loss of innocence of children who are exposed to negative multimedia contents on social media. “So, it’s like a metaphor (exploring) how to preserve the innocence of this coming generation,” Ayogu says, citing as example, the recent Equatorial Guinea sex scandal of which lewd videos went viral on the social media, becoming accessible even to under-aged children. The second work Ayogu brings to the exhibition is titled “Personal Legend”. Ayogu is popular within the contemporary art sphere for his hyper-realistic portraits, primarily in oil paint.

Jacqueline Suowari, an internationally-acclaimed multidisciplinary artist known for her large-scale ballpoint pen drawings (said to be the largest in Africa) brings “Idia’s Son” and “Sunset in Banana Island” to the exhibition. Suowari spoke about her fascination with the human hair, which she likes to explore.

Oscar Ukonu’s “The Disinformation of a Republic 8”, “Face Value” and “Coronation II” – all made using ballpoint pen on paper – tackle the problem of information overload in the new media. With the series, Ukonu says he tries “to show that the media content we consume affect our identity.” With the new media, “we are consuming a lot without anyone sticking,” he says.

David Kaydee Otaru, whose outstanding work, “Growing up fast 2”, depicts some young persons in translucent colors of ghostly figures, and a part of the popular Lagos commuter yellow bus called ‘danfo’ at the background, says he tried to merge traditional art with technology. His other works for the exhibition are “Guy-Man”, “In My Papa’s Cap” and “A Cup of Snooze”.

Adesiyan Olawale Moses uses charcoal and graphite in his works to mirror how cultural tradition and modernity exist side by side in today’s world. His “Omidan”, he says, “represents the strength, grace, and quiet resilience of young women in Yoruba culture.” His other works are “Whispers of Reflection” and “Lightplay Portrait III”.

Celesta Jonah treats the theme of unfair society’s expectations of masculinity. In her series, “Boys Don’t Cry” (I-III), she interrogates the societal expectation that men and boys should suppress their emotions because they ought to be strong.

Chukwuebuka Chukwuemeka’s brings 5 works to the exhibition: “Odumodu”, “Gentle Men”, “Lady Grace”, “Lady Vanessa” and “Lady Martha”. With his combination of charcoal, pastel, and coffee, Chukwuemeka tries to recapture “the essence of time and culture, shedding light on identity, representation, and personal experience.”

Oliver Okolo’s works at the exhibition are titled “Violet Dreams in a Golden Shell”, “Untethered” (all oil and charcoal on paper), and “The Sitter’s” (oil on canvas).