Journeys

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.
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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 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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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.
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Praise Sanni- Adeniyi, Three Breaths Till Day Break, 2022

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

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