By Henry Akubuiro
One of Nigerian leading art galleries, Alexis, will, on February 15, 2025, commence its latest exhibition, “Recycling Matters 1”, at 282, Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, which will run till March 1. It presents fresh, new works by four resident artists who spent over a month at Alexis Galleries: Francis Denedo, Konboye Ebipade Eugene, Olushola Olajobi, and Yusuf Riliwan Idowu. The exhibition showcases brilliant interdisciplinary artists working with found objects, materials and diverse innovative approaches to the idea of waste and utility.
Curated by Uche Obasi, the curator said in his statement that “Recycling Matters I” engages with the social reality of waste, utility and functionality, in light of profusion of consumer excesses and socio-economic factors. Also, the exhibition explores these issues through a wide range of mediums from a variety of found materials including stain glasses, rubber, scrap metal and nylon wastes.
Remarkably, the exhibition invites us to participate in the process and result of remaking, reinvention and reusage, revealing everyday objects that re-connect our place in its utility, grace and duality of meaning.” Through forms and colour, these artists produce aesthetic assemblage of works from installation, sculpture and multimedia combinations that react and connect the human condition to consumption and environmental pollution.
Konboye Ebipade Eugene re-invents portraiture that emerge out of meticulously stitched assemblage of discarded rubber footwear, held together as a grid of shades of visual elds perceptible through radiant hue of colors that represents an interplay between old and new. Eugene’s work, “Bose”, pushes beyond the boundaries of gender limitations on survival and livelihood.
Sharing his experience on his time at the residency, he told Daily Sun: “I am an artist and an environmentalist. I work with footwears. My works are a reflection of my journey, where I am coming from. Growing up in Katsina in the northern part of the country has taught me a lot about value and waste management. Every child must learn a particular skill of fixing something. The north is not a place where you just throw away any broken thing. My series ‘’Abosede’ talks about my environment.”
Yusuf Riliwan employs systematic cubic arrangement of retro-reflective debris of broken pieces of glass bottle drinks harmonised in different shades, textures and vibrant colours. Rilwan’s work, “Elegance of Heritage”, portrays a portrait and cultural identity of a young woman, adorned with simple yet meaningful tribal markings.
The multidisciplinary artist told Daily Sun: “I work with broken tiles and glasses, which I pick from abandoned off-cuts from the sellers. I also collect broken bottles from roadsides. Sometimes, I visit beer parlours and pick up broken bottles, which I use to communicate ideas. My works represent the rich cultural heritage of the Yorubas.”
Using discarded scrap metal, Francis Denedo melds used materials into forms and meanings to address the age-long, universal human quest for freedom and autonomy. Denedo’s work reminds us of the human need to act with courage, resilience and determination in the face of adversity. His sculptural work “Emancipation” is an expressive gesture on defiance, resistance and liberty.
At the residency programme, he worked on recycled materials. He told Daily Sun: “My works vary, using human forms to represent a story. I like working on figurative pieces. I build my works from waste. Being that it keys into what the residency is all about, I decided to work on four figures.” His work, “Adesuwa”, is about a Bini princess who had an issue with an Ika medicine man in the past.
For Olushola Olajobi, working with nylon wastes allows him to explore the interplay of everyday consumption, utility, and disposal. Olajobi’s Infestation Series I is a sculptural installation that invites the viewers to confront the overwhelming presence of nylon waste in our environment. Olajobi recontextualises waste as a primary material, challenging our perceptions of value while making commentary on waste pollution and sustainable environmental management practices in Nigeria.
At the residency programme, he produced four works, like other resident artists. For him, “It has been an exciting journey sharing ideas and learning from fellow resident artists. It also highlighted the efforts of the facilitators, like Popola and Oluwale Femi. He worked on a series, “Infestation”. He explained: “The idea is to explore how humans have tried to over explore the world in itself.”
All the artists spoke with one voice that the residency had challenged them to be more creative and explore the business side of art, thanks to the facilitators.
Alexis Galleries’ “Recycling Matters I”, powered by Macallan single malt Scotch whisky, thrives on innovative works that capture the hidden value and essence in wastage, inviting viewers to reconcile their place and role in recycling everyday discarded objects, while nurturing a safe, environmental management culture.
Patty Chidiac-Mastrogiannis, founder of Alexis Galleries, said: “Macallan’s commitment to excellence and sustainability is a testament to its dedication to crafting exceptional malt whiskies.”