Rebecca Ejifoma
 | |
| Reflection by Wande |
Naked Truth, an exhibition of the recent arrays by the
renowned Nigerian artist, Wande George holds from August 16 to 26 at the Terra Kulture
Art Gallery in Victoria Island Lagos.
The solo exhibition, which aims to awaken the instinct of
Nigerians to start acting not talking, will feature his 30 works in paintings
and mixed media. Naked Truth is meant to serve as a food of thought for the
viewers and Nigerians to peep and focus on the current threats facing the
nation.
“In his usual thought-provoking reflection of social and
domestic issues, the artist highlights both the common elements and the great
diversity that constitutes the fabric of our society,” says Joseph Umoibom a
reviewer.
According to the artist at a press briefing held at Terra Kulture
recently, “When I started the series it was soul searching and were basically
religious concepts, but somehow along the way, I found out that what happens to
me, happens to others and can easily be applied to the society in which I live,
after all, I am a product of the society and so interestingly, the more I
explore the more I discover.”
To highlight his message even father, some of the works to be
displayed include “Reflection”, “Desperate Men”, “Deceit (The Seat)”, “Generation
X”, “East & West”, “Blind Leader” and the “Boarder Post.” Others are “Fear”,
“Security”, “Dialogue”, “Window of Opportunity”, “My Sweet Heart”, “Waiting”, “African
Queen”, “For Better For Worse” and of course, “Good News.”
Wande also stated that most often, he liked to express the
ideas as crude as it hits him, because that is the only way he could be true to
the concept and keep the idea intact.
Indeed, the show promises to be NAKED and TRUTHful as Wande,
the artist, enthused that the viewers may be jolted, amused, indifferent or nod
their heads and say ‘yes, this is true’. “I am just trying to be fair to my
conscience on this concept of Naked Truth I have been exploring since 2004.”
For example the “BOARDER POST” is an expression of a personal
experience when my privacy was intruded (A Yoruba adage that says “Bi ogiri ko
ba la’nu, Alangba ko le wo ibe” meaning without a crack on the wall lizards can
not gain entrance” is what I tried to express here but applying it in a global
term. You will notice how people are infiltrating and migrating uninhibited
especially in Africa, this is because there are so many porous route/access.
The advent of the Internet (especially social media) has also given unhindered
access to people to intrude on other people’s privacy. The “Boarder Posts” are
indeed porous.
Permit me to say that a few of the works may denote violence,
I do not intend to promote violence (I am an ambassador of Christ and He is the
Prince of Peace) it is a wake up call that violence is real and it is becoming
our second nature, therefore, if we do not act fast, danger is imminent. For
example WHO ARE YOU? & INSECURITY are classical examples of how we have all
lost patience with ourselves both individually and corporately. There’s no day
that I drive on the street of Lagos that I don’t see people bullying each
other, on the global scene you will also note that Nations are also on each
other’s jugular, trying to prove superiority.
There is an imminent danger and we all need to slow down, unlearn what
we have learnt and show more understanding and love because we are made in Gods
image and GOD is LOVE In this body of work you will also find figure paintings,
landscapes etc., It is only a reminiscence of my days as illustrator in the
advertising world Some people say I am a
Cubist Some say I am an expressionist I
don’t know what you think of me. All
that I know is that I am an Artist and a Voice in the affair of my
generation. Whoever you think that I am…
welcome to my world!
No comments:
Post a Comment