1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair London 2018

the Contemporaries II exhibition marks Nigeria’s 58th Independence
day and the Wheatbaker’s seventh anniversary by showcasing thirtyeight
sculptures, paintings, and mixed media works by Kainebi Osahenye,
Kenny Adewuyi and Kelani Abass, three avant garde contemporary artists.
The exhibition presents strong visual narratives and powerful figurative
abstractions which explore historic socio-political narratives, the dignity of
labour, technology, and the environment vis-vis unbridled consumerism.
We are proud to present three artists who have contributed significantly
to the vibrancy of Nigeria’s contemporary art scene. Kainebi Osahenye
combines spray paint with oil, pastel, and acrylic, experimenting with
dynamic fluency and fluidity to explore figurative gestures which interrogate
society’s insatiability vis-a-vis the earth’s limited natural resources.
Kelani Abass creates intricate multi-media works, in which small mechanical
parts retrieved from his family’s printing press, are layered with photographs
and archival materials as the artist explores personal stories against the
background of social and political events frozen in time and memory. His
‘man and machine’ series on canvas explore the interchangeable codependency
between man and technology.
Kenny Adewuyi’s emotive sculptures of elongated figures and exaggerated
limbs are in recognition of humanity’s universal struggle for survival and
sustained livelihoods. His iconic sculptures are cast in bronze using the lost
wax technique dating as far back as the 9th century in eastern Nigeria,
keeping alive an ancient artistic tradition.
This important exhibition reaffirms the Wheatbaker’s commitment to
celebrate the very best of African creativity The second edition of the
Contemporaries also continues the impressive standard set by the first
quarterly exhibition the hotel hosted in 2011, providing a regular platform
for celebrating exceptional local and international talent.
The Contemporaries II will open at two important venues simultaneously,
The Wheatbaker in Lagos on September 29th to January 15, 2019, and
at the 1.54 African Contemporary Art Fair in London from October 3rd to
7th, 2018. Art is an important avenue for addressing global issues, and we
depend on our artists to be good global ambassadors for Africa.