By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor

Abiodun Badejo’s solo art exhibition titled Times and Places, shown from December 3-8, 2023 at Gemini Art Gallery, King George V Road, Onikan, Lagos, marked a significant part in the artist’s growing trajectory. Also, the exhibition asserted the promoter, Legacy Empire Gallery, LLC’s grip on Africa and diaspora art market.

The exhibition, which was Badejo’s second solo efforts in seven years, has been described as a celebration of crucial moments shaping human existence. In addition to his formal training, Badejo was a mentee to great artists like Bashiru Bolaji Babatunde, Kolade Oshinowo and Abiodun Olaku. In 2016, Badejo showed his first solo exhibition at Nike Art Gallery, Lagos.

And for Legacy Empire Gallery, which has been promoting Nigerian and other African artists in the past years, there is so much to share. Founder and director of Legacy Empire, Henry Emenike, disclosed that he has no regret so far. Sharing his work experience, Emenike said: “I have had a wonderful experience so far, because my passion for art knows no bounds, especially when it comes to abstract art. It’s nice to see the artist grow and be recognised through his creativity.”

Emenike described Badejo as an artist whose “exceptional creatives are absolutely unapologetic when it comes to using color combinations in completing his artwork.”

Ahead of meeting Legacy Empire early in 2023, Badejo has been tracking shows organised by the Emenike-led gallery. However, the artist recalled that “through referral, though I have heard about him years back and I have also attended many shows he had sponsored.” Badejo has been painting landscape and streetscape for as long as his career took off nearly two decades ago. His love for landscape, he said, makes him create stories and also helps to advance what he described as “creative ingenuity.”

“Landscape painting comprises of all other forms such as figurative, still life and nature.” Badejo argued that being a landscape artist, “I see myself as a complete painter.”

Quite a number of artists are migrating towards full figurative painting style while others like Badejo stick to their identity. For Badejo, the new-found artists’ love for blackened figurative paintings is not likely to change his choice of identity.

“I strongly believe that my art is me and I am my art. I do my art and pass my messages the way my inner eyes see it, and that is what has given me my identity. Once an Artist believes in himself, his voice will definitely be heard. I see the newly found blackened figurative painting as good and interesting painting, but I’m no longer enjoying its monotony,” Badejo said.  

Badejo’s Times and Places was not a first time for Legacy Empire. In fact, the gallery, according to Emenike, has shown Nigerian artists in the country and diaspora. It should be recalled that in 2018, Legacy showed Olawunmi Banjo at Nike Gallery, Lekki, Lagos.

The gallery went further in 2018 to showed the same artist in Berlin. The Berlin show, Emenike said, “was a wonderful experience to see how the German art lovers took a closer look at Olawunmi Banjo’s artworks and indeed commended her for the use of Pallet knife technique.”

As much as selling art online is becoming a big business worldwide, the problem of falling into the trap of faked art is worrisome for collectors.  

How does Legacy handle collectors who are skeptical of buying art virtually for fear of faked or low-quality artworks? “I personally give them the assurance of honesty, because a good name is better than money,” Emenike said.

Perhaps, opening a physical art gallery is a future plan for Legacy Empire in Lagos, given the growing number of new facilities in the city. “I can’t say that at the moment,” Emenike said cautiously. “I would rather continue to support serious artists by not hesitating to invest further in the art market, especially in Nigeria.”