At Rele Gallery, young contemporaries celebrate decade of transgenerational interrogation | The Guardian Nigeria News

Continuing its tradition of nurturing, supporting and showcasing young African artists, the Rele Arts Foundation recently kicked off its celebration of a decade with the 10th edition of the Young Contemporaries programme.

This year, the exhibition showcased the work of six artists who emerged from the foundation’s residency in Ekiti, Nigeria. Inspired by the region’s rich history of resistance, the works presented at the exhibition explored ontological queries of identity, migration and culture preservation.

The talented artists, drawn from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and South Africa, brought art to life with different art forms and expressions.

Chinecherem Ifedilichukwu investigates transgenerational cultural transmission through the use of traditional textile techniques.

Working with textile, Progress Nyandoro’s works integrate her Shona heritage with influences from Ekiti, creating evocative narratives. Speaking on her creations, the 26-year-old visual artist from Zimbabwe said this is her first time in Nigeria and she enjoyed the culture and way of life of the Ekiti people so much that it influenced her artwork. “All the works here are from my experience while I was in Ekiti. Together brings to life the Ikogosi water springs in Ekiti, the natural hot and cold water. It shows two women, one in blue (representing the cold water) and the other is in red (representing the warm water). I was told the two springs represent the two wives of the founder of that area who had very different character; I don’t know how true this is but it stuck with me.”

Using Ankara fabrics, papers, plastic bottle rings and acrylic paint, Nyandoro says her niche is mixed media. Praising the programme for helping her broaden her horizon and learn another culture, she said her dream is to be a successful, world-renowned artist.

The 25-year-old visual artist, David Oba-Fidelis, whose journey into art started fully during the lockdown, blends the mundane and magical in semi-autobiographical works, utilising Ankara fabric as a backdrop for his narratives. For Where Time Stood Still 1 and 2, he draws on his childhood experiences and games to evoke the feeling of nostalgia. WTSS 2 features characters playing tug of war and he says his goal is to create safety in familiar spaces. “I tried to recreate spaces and times I felt safe and at ease and time stood still for me. WTSS 1 is another classic childhood game, form-a-big-circle-like-your-mother’s-cooking-pot. Working with Ankara gives my work a sense of identity. I am from Ogun state and I wanted to use something of my people that is familiar to everyone.”

South African, Tshepo Sizwe Phokojoe, maps the impact of migration on African history through jute sackcloth installations, drawing similarities from the nomadic experiences of both Nigerians and South Africans. “I wanted to find something that both countries can relate to and my research led me to the Bantu expansion and how Africans were spread to other parts of Africa. The jute sack I use for my artworks, which is gotten from the jute plant, is what Nigerians use to move coffee beans, tobacco and plants.”

He brings this artistic form to life depicting people trying to move with a sack from one point to the other “Me, You and I, inspired from the Cavemen’s song with similar title, depicts a nuclear family made up of a father, mother and child and made with the jute sack.”

Adding that he wants his artworks to challenge the norm and make viewers think outside the box, he said his works are a bridge between fashion and visual art. Tshepo said he has been a full-time artist since 2017, adding that his desire is to continually break all known rules of formal art. “I want to introduce this art form to Nigerians because what I mostly see here is painting, realism, visual art and so on. I want more artists to break the rules and think outside the box.”

Critiquing globalised economies of extraction, Shariff Bakare employs sculptural installations that juxtapose traditional and contemporary materials, marble, wood, paint and aluminum.

“These works at this exhibition belong to a body of work titled Export Only, and it is titled so because I want to draw a metaphor between gemstones and our youths. When gemstones are found in Nigeria, they are immediately tagged for export and Nigerians don’t get to use them or identify them. It reminds me of the Japa phenomenon where the best of our youths are immediately poached by foreign companies or finds a way to leave Nigeria. I want us to begin to see gemstones as belonging to us and for our usage rather than simply for export alone. The crates symbolize the boxes the gemstones are shipped out in and the blackness of the crates depict mystery. The artwork basically tries to depict duality of what is ours but unattainable, the theme of displacement, travel and loss of our youths and gemstones.”

Bakare who said he was born into art, revealed the marbles were sourced from different states including Ekiti, Oyo and Jos and intends to continue showcasing the richness of and abundance of Nigeria’s gemstones.

Nzubechukwu Ozoemena’s layered abstract compositions, with titles such as ‘Fellowship with the Downtrodden’ uses religious iconography to speak of universal themes such as grief and solidarity in harsh yet hush tones.

The architect turned artist said he has always had a passion for art and with this collection, “looks to find the midpoint between abstraction and figuration. From afar, the works looks like a jumble of paint but when you look closer, it starts to take shape and form. With this body of work, I am asking where the line between suffering and happiness meet and how many people hold on to what feels like hope.”

Gallery patron, Ukeme Esiet, hailed all the artworks on exhibition, saying the future is bright not just for them but for Nigerian art as a whole. “Being recognised by Rele is an excellent platform and it means they have potential; this is just the starting point and they are going to go far.”

For Remi Shitta, she said the works are a breath of fresh air and go beyond just art. “Beyond beautification, most of these works are helping to project and preserve our culture, tell our stories in new forms and expressions. I believe they are all going to do well and I cannot wait to see what they do next. I must thank Rele Gallery for providing this global platform for these young artists to shine,” she said.

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