Victor Butler, Solidarity, 2022
SMO is delighted to present Angèle Etoundi Essamba (b. 1962), Victor Butler (b.1964), Patrick Akpojotor (b.1982) and Olawunmi Banjo (b.1985) at ArtXLagos 2022. All four artists sift through layers of social, ancestral, and cultural inheritance and influences in an attempt to define and celebrate their roots. Through vivid and energetic figures, both Essamba (Cameroon) and Banjo (Nigeria) explore the complexities of the Black female body and how it can be received and celebrated in society. The angular lines and forms that make up their artworkss act as a red thread throughout the booth, speaking to interconnectivity and the very fabric that makes up human existence. Victor Butler’s (Ghana) hyper-realist paintings emphasize the intersection of a myriad of influences brought about by colonization, globalization, and technological socialization on native communities and cultures. His work explores a deeply philosophical approach to life through his surrealist style and subject matter. Patrick Akpojotor (Nigeria) experimental sculptures are an expose on how multiple components within architectural spaces shape ones’ identity and mental well being. Although these artists do not claim to have all the answers, they our inter- connectedness through questions beneath the surface.
