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Simeon Mpamugoh
Alexis Galleries throws open its doors today, March 2, 2019, for Destiny, its first in-house female exhibition.
The exhibition runs alongside Femme, an all-African female art expo dedicated to celebrating this year’s International Women’s Day and the campaign on violence against the girl child.
About 70 works of diverse themes and colours by 16 young and budding artists are on display at the exhibition which has ‘Violence Against Women’ as its general concern.
The bevy of artists include Onyinye Zennia, Folasade Adebowale, Jolaoluwal Lawal, Obi Chigozie and Oby Okala Frances. Others are Arogunmati Omoyemi, Uche Okonkwo, Imuede Adulphina and Bertha Onyekachi. Kesa Freda, Augustina Chinelo Obi, Sophia Omoh, Charity Ide, Ayo Olamide Adesola, Gbojubola Obatuyi and Lasode Opemipo complete the roll call.
Patty Chidiac-Mastrogiannis, curator and Director, Alexis Galleries said, “Destiny is about a group of young ladies in art that we would hopefully be pushing up the ladder, just like we have done with several other artists in the past seven years. We desire that some of these female artists become giants in the league of acclaimed visual artists one day.”
The exhibition is a multi-layered partnership, a collaboration between Alexis Galleries, the non-profit Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) and Heineken and Tiger brands.
WARIF, a sexual assault referral centre established in 2016 to provide a safe haven for survivors of rape and sexual assault, offers free medical care, counselling, shelter and legal aid to victims. It’s initiative, WARIF Advocacy Through Arts (WTA), seeks to create awareness, change behavioural patterns and discourage gender-based violence in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
WARIF’s founder, Dr. Kemi DaSilva-Ibru, explained that the opportunity to partner with Alexis Galleries afforded the charity organization a unique opportunity “to highlight the incidences of rape and sexual violence in our community through arts.”
The artists’ works mirror the theme of the expo. Forward Move 2 by Kesa Freda; The Favoured One and Fertility, stories of a pregnant woman, by Lily Folashade Adebowale, Uche Okonkwo’s Virtuous Woman and Negro Family, Ayo Olamide Adesola’s Sitting Pretty and Less is More and Onyinye Zennia’s nail and thread picture, Stuck in the Vow amongst others.
Part of the proceeds from the expo will be donated to the foundation. The exhibition closes on March 15.
