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Journeys: SMO Contemporary Art presents Journeys, an exhibition by 10 artists from Nigeria and Zimbabwe

Past viewing_room
July 9 - September 10, 2023
Tumininu Gbebire, Long Journey, Acyrlic on canvas, 122 x 92 cm, 2023
Tumininu Gbebire, Long Journey, Acyrlic on canvas, 122 x 92 cm, 2023
SMO Contemporary Art is pleased to present our summer exhibition ‘JOURNEYS’, a showcase  of 33 paintings, mixed media works and sculptures, by ten emerging and mid-career artists from Nigeria and Zimbabwe, hosted by the Wheatbaker.
 
The exhibition features works by Ademola Ojo, Aluu Prosper, Collins Abinoro, Ejiro Fenegal, Iniobong Usoro, Praise Sanni-Adeniyi, Prudence Chimutuwah, Robert Oniha, Sanjo Lawal and Tumininu Gbebire, which explore the diverse questions we grapple with on our life journeys in search of meaning. The artists, ranging in age from 23 to 39, present a cross-generational analysis of critical themes such as cultural identity and rootedness , the spiritual and physical search for home, and humanity's yearning for safety, abundance and a place for enfolding. 
  • Exhibition Catalogue
  • Journeys

  • Through their works on canvas, Ademola Ojo and Robert Oniha delve into our cultural identity. Ojo's oil portraits juxtapose figures in ninetheen century clothing with faces of Yoruba traditional masks prompting us to reimagine a hybrid identity that might have existed had African traditions and beliefs coexisted with British colonial rule instead of being dominated by it.
     
    In the mixed media triptych Japa, Robert Oniha explores the history and significance of traditional African hairstyles, which are slowly losing relevance. He cleverly weaves hair extensions into a maze across three canvases, reimaginging the secret messages and maps run-away slaves used duringn the time of slavery as a pathway to their freedom.
    Through their works on canvas, Ademola Ojo and Robert Oniha delve into our cultural identity. Ojo's oil portraits juxtapose figures...
  • Ademola Ojo, Found New Identity, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ademola Ojo, Once Upon A Time, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ademola Ojo, The Rulers, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ademola Ojo, Untitled, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Robert Oniha, JAPA (Triptych), 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ademola Ojo, Found New Identity, 2023
  • Ejiro Fenegal and Collins Abinoro are sculptors who are both known for transforming materials such as stone and recycled cutlery...
    Ejiro Fenegal and Collins Abinoro are sculptors who are both known for transforming materials such as stone and recycled cutlery into powerful life-size busts that explore different aspects of human expression, female identity, and spirituality. Abinoro's mixed media work Scarred presents a powerful male torso created out of upcycled metal cutlery, with a face plastered with newspaper clippings representing the subject's many scars, trials, triumphs, secrets, and truths. Abinoro’s choice of words and headlines are a subtle commentary on the socio-economic state of the nation. In contrast, Ejiro Fenegal utilizes bonded stone to create stunning female figures which present powerful young female leaders with flamboyant traditional hairstyles. In Lady in Red, her subject wears a classical Victorian-style dress but carries an empty basket—a symbol of the perpetual yearning for self-improvement and fulfillment.
  • Collins Abinoro, Scarred, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Collins Abinoro, Simi In Dreamland, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Collins Abinoro, Shittu (Journey for the Green Card), 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ejiro Fenegal, Just Being Me, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ejiro Fenegal, Lady in Red, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Ejiro Fenegal, Before You Know Me, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Collins Abinoro, Scarred, 2023
  • Iniobong Usoro, Tumininu Gbebire, and Sanjo Lawal tackle the multifaceted questions that arise from migration. Usoro employs geometric shapes as potent metaphors, examining the complexities and challenges faced by migrants across the world. Gbebire portrays the perils currently faced by thousands of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean sea, wearing life jackets, and tackling different physical and emotional terrains. Lawal draws intricate scenes with symbolic items hidden as clues within crowded landscapes. He paints his subjects using first aid kits as travel bags, and is able to convey their intense desire for independence and their readiness to confront the unknown.
    Iniobong Usoro, Tumininu Gbebire, and Sanjo Lawal tackle the multifaceted questions that arise from migration. Usoro employs geometric shapes as...
  • Iniobong Usoro, Iridescent, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Iniobong Usoro, Expectations, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Iniobong Usoro, Self I, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Iniobong Usoro, Self II, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Iniobong Usoro, Chasing Cars, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Tumininu Gbebire, Uncle Lucky, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Tumininu Gbebire, Better Place, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Tumininu Gbebire, Boarder Traffic, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Sanjo Lawal, Chronicles of Japa I, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Sanjo Lawal, Chronicles of Japa II, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Sanjo Lawal, Heavy is The Head: Tornado Headties, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Iniobong Usoro, Indecisions, 2023
  • Prudence Chimutuwah from Zimbabwe, draws inspiration from the everyday lives of women operating in male-dominated spaces, and reflects on her own life experiences. Through her striking collage works, she utilizes decommissioned banknotes, snippets from fashion magazines, and personal notes and letters to explore female empowerment, creating personalities which exude confidence, resilience, and determination.
    Prudence Chimutuwah from Zimbabwe, draws inspiration from the everyday lives of women operating in male-dominated spaces, and reflects on her...
  • Prudence Chimutuwah, Pathfinder II, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Prudence Chimutuwah, Way Seeker, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Prudence Chimutuwah, Pathfinder I, 2023 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Prudence Chimutuwah, Pathfinder II, 2023
  • Praise Sanni-Adeniyi's works reflect her internal struggle with anxiety and her quest for balance. Aluu Prosper celebrates African identity by...
    Praise Sanni-Adeniyi's works reflect her internal struggle with anxiety and her quest for balance. Aluu Prosper celebrates African identity by creating subjects with exaggerated proportions and elaborate hairstyles. In the mixed media collage Caroline, Prosper uses newspaper and oil to portray a confident black woman with a voluminous afro and a gold crown adorning her hair as a symbol of the nobility of his subjects.
  • Praise Sanni-Adeniyi, Three Breaths Till Day Break, 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Praise Sanni-Adeniyi, Praying for Peace in Mente Town (1), 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Praise Sanni-Adeniyi, Midnight Anthem, 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Aluu Prosper, Auto Pilot, 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Aluu Prosper, While We Wait II, 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Aluu Prosper, Caroline, 2022 (Larger version of this image opens in a popup).
    Praise Sanni- Adeniyi, Three Breaths Till Day Break, 2022
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