Nudus and sublime art at Alexis Galleries

By Henry Akubuiro

Beyond the spellbinding artworks by eight amazing female artists on display, art lovers thronging to Alexis Galleries at Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island,  Lagos, from Saturday, September 14 to the 28th of this month, will have cause to reflect on the thematic possibilities laden in the variegated artworks driven by a common thread: “Nudus”.

Regarded as one of Nigeria’s iconic  galleries, the eight artists – Djakou Kasai Nathalie, Ejiro Fenegal, Chidinma Nwafor, Elizabeth Ekpetorson, Almat Adams, Boluwatife Victoria Lawal, Adebimpe Owoyemi and Ganiyat Abdulazeez – were carefully selected by Alexis Galleries, on the strength of their talents and the gravitation of their works to the exhibition theme: “Nudus”. Patty Chidiac, founder of Alexis Galleries, was upbeat about the impact of the exhibition at the media preview, “I am sure it’s going to be a killer.”

Any clues? Of course, yes. Adebimpe Owoyemi doubles as the curator of the exhibition and one of the exhibiting artists. She explained that “Nudus” was Latin for naked, which implied “a state of destitute and deprivation; a void that needs substance, a substance that each artist has interpreted in different contents and expressions with various styles and techniques.”

The exhibiting artists include a Cameroonian, Djakou Kassi Nathalie, whose speciality is ceramic sculptor. She will be exhibiting six works, which she said “represent different ways of being naked in my works.” One of the her works, “She Too Sabi”, limns a character given to gossip and sharing others people’s  secrets; while “Honeymoon” reveals a bride whose honeymoon signifies a period to bare it all to her hubby in a show of affection.

Another sculptor, Ejiro Fenegel, whose works grapple with the interiorities of the mind saw doubt, hate and fear as detrimental to your sanity. “Galaxy”, one of her works, tell the positive tale of womanhood. “I am trying to portray women as stars that people can look up to for inspiration,” she said.

On her part, Adepimpe Owoyemi is exhibiting three works. In “Coat of Many Colours”, she deploys traditional aso oke fabric. The figure of a woman in the painting is wrapped with aso oke of different colours, patterns, lines, shapes, etcetera, representing people in Yoruba culture

For Chidimma Nwafor, her works serves as a lens through which we unravel the expectations and burdens surrounding a girl-child in our society. For example, “Within Walls Without Armour”, one of her works, dwells on the vulnerability of women in a society like ours, where many are given to extreme judgments.

The forte of Elizabeth Ekpetorson is painting. She is also a draughtsman. Among the three works she is exhibiting is “Comfortable in My Skin”, which subscribes to unmooring creative shackles: “I have always looked at the freedom the human personality possesses,” and whatever an artist is cooking  “one should be comfortable enough to put it out there,” she stated. “Beauty Is Relative” is another work of hers.

Like Ekpertoson, Almat Adams, a painter, is showcasing three works, which include but not limited to “Verbal in Radiance”, a work depicting a captivating woman brimming with confidence and joy  while embracing her sexuality as a source of strength.  Other works of hers are Sovereign Grace” and “In Our Elements”.

“Unbroken 1 & 2”, a painting by Ganiyat Abdulazeez, echoes a survivalist mantra – of women faced with adversities. It signposts the quest for freedom, while “Her Elements” depicts a woman fascinated with her beauty.

Boluwatife Victoria Lawal is the eight exhibiting artist, whose works manifest, among others, interpersonality of identity, race and gender. Her works chosen for “Nudist” are in sync with the theme of the exhibition, sponsored by Coca-Cola, Macallan, Bombay-Sapphire, Mikano, Art-Cafe, Tiger, Aina Blankson Global, “The Guardian, Berol, Schweppes, Haier Thermocool, Nigeria Info and Cobranet.