Adeodunfa's Faces and Phases Thrills Audience

Adeodunfa shares his joy of being an artist and collector through his abstract group art exhibition series and his new Oil on lace method held at the Terra Kulture Art Gallery in Victoria Island at the weekend, Rebecca Ejifoma writes…

Adeodunfa

 

"My art depicts my true inner feelings; no matter the theme I work on. That’s why I’ve always had different styles over different periods in my life and different pallet to adorn my different surfaces. These are the element that gives breath to my art life,” says Adeodunfa. His repertoires are appealing to the eyes, as they thrilled the large audience that trooped into the hall at Terra Kulture gallery. With his new, fresh and captivating lace work; the artist adorns his paintings with butterflies, which he calls his taste of beauty. Exuded on the walls of the gallery, his prolific pieces and those aesthetic works he collected sent his message of joy across to art aficionados.

Of course, there is the belief that artists are forces of thoughts and creators of castles; the 35 works displayed throughout the one week, as they leave the viewers’ to muse twice. And with his expressions on large canvases, there is no gainsaying that Adeodunfa is an artist, who knows his onions; hence, has painted his name in the minds’ eyes of art lovers. 

Faces and Phases, the theme song of the group exhibition, which ran from September 6 to 12, was based on the planned – serializing of the exhibition.  For every group of artists shown at a particular time, the focus, he explained “will be on the common stages that the artists have gone through.”

The artist explained that ‘faces’ symbolise the different artists participating in the exhibition while ‘phases’ is their different times, styles and ideas coming together to show what they have. “This is the second running of Faces and Phases. I had the first one during my solo exhibition titled ‘Faces and Phases’. It is a documentation of the lives of artists with our works and stereotype.”

The exhibition brought together a group of young Nigerian artists, whose works covered an array of distinctively diverse insights and styles – aesthetic pieces. The presence of these five incredible artists; Olumide Onadipe, Chinedu Uzoma, Segun Akintoye, Donald Ekpo and Ade Odunfa himself brought out their different techniques, different passions and the reflection of those thought provoking moment in life.

The gift of artists is to help others engage their senses through artistic creations to fully experience the sensory and thrills that surround man. And, according to the artists during the preview each piece showcased creates a peculiar feeling of uniqueness, inspiration and reflection to the viewers. Through the works of a few rare artists, we not only gain knowledge of individuals but also of the broader cultural and social contexts in which they are inserted. But that is not all, looking at the way FACES and PHASES is presented, we can also have an insight into the artists themselves. Because of its focus on the human face and the different phases in a humans' life, this exhibition gives us the opportunity to look at the philosophical ground on which a large section of young Nigerian artists stand. More times than not, artworks tell more than what the artist actually wants to say. They reveal much about the subject, the artist and the social and cultural environment.

Little rascal by Donald Ekpo

Besides these, Adeodunfa started collecting works of other artists, including that of his teachers, as a student studying art. As an artist, his kind of art, perhaps, sometimes also influence his choice of collection. He explained how such personalising of art has become eclectic in his art over the years. “That’s why I’ve always had different styles over different periods in my life and different pallet to adorn my different surfaces. These are the element that gives breath to my art life.”

As audacious artists, whose penchant for paintings and carving bring out their different techniques, different passions and the reflection of those thought-provoking moments in life, speak with one voice – colour and brush. Some of the works were ‘Conversation I’ (36 inches), ‘Mama’s Love’ (28x36), ‘Family Ties’ (20x36)‘Virtuous Woman’ (18x28), ‘Outing for Two’ (48x48), ‘City in my Eyes’ (30x36), ‘Faces and Phases’(12x18), ‘Busy Hands’ (18x30), ‘the Gaze’ (36x48) and ‘Beautiful II’ (36x48) among others.

Odunfa, who has put into his career nearly 15 years of studio practice, had three years ago shown works of close to 20 artists in the exhibition titled Over a Decade Collection of Paintings and Sculptures. He continues the passion of sharing his collection “I have 400 art pieces of other artists in my collection,” Adeodunfa declared during the preview of the exhibition few days ago. And, this exhibition has evolved from solo to group and will grow bigger than this.

A cursory look at Adeodunfa’s ‘Beautiful II’ and ‘The Gaze’ will astound the art enthusiasts into the first thought of the work of camera. His facial make-up, as a side flavour to his works, could pass for bridal finishing and his turban and igele tying concludes him to be vast indeed.

No doubt, many have the vision; a few have got the passion while others have the hunch to get their quests done. Acclaimed as a talented prospect and sort after by art lovers, Uzoma’s drawings charcoal on paper works (Virtuous Woman and Family Ties) captivate one at a glance− looking nothing other than real. While Shiigo deals with abstract in nature, where he interprets in his own aesthetic way with African motifs, are very colourful; Onadipe’s works are very delightful and attention grasping with his painting of leaves to form different figures, faces and structures.

And to review the only sculptor among the exhibitors, whose works, Conversation I and II, provoke laughter at a first glance then a deep thought, Ekpo is noted for his anatomy sculptures. He works from a three-dimension perspective using fibre glass, other found objects and metals.

Meanwhile, artists like Samuel Ajobiewe, Ehiforia Henry, Morakinyo Seye, Akanbi Yusuf, Ogunnusi Dolapo, Bimpe Adebambo, Biodun Badmos, Bunmi Ayaoge,Idorenyin Ogaga Toudinye, Olumide Onadipe, Kehinde Oso, Umeh Bede,Segun Philips, Soji Yoloye, Tayo Olayode, Emeka Ajuwah, OsagieAimufia, Femi Oyewole, Abdurazaq Muhammad and Donald Ekpo weresome of those who exhibited at Adeodunfa's show Over A Decade Collection ofPaintings and Sculptures in 2011.

All these nimble artists were brought on one platform by Adeodunfa, whose name in full is Adekusibe Odunfa. Born in Lagos on May 19, 1973, he graduated with a degree in Fine Artwith a specialisation in painting at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1998.

Adeodunfa is an accomplished painter known for his durbar themes; he is proficient in a variety of medium including oils, acrylics, watercolour, pastels and photography. He loves experimenting pigment on surfaces, plays with charcoal on canvas, oil on lace and oil on wood. His brilliantly executed canvases depict the female form, portraits, durbars and recently stylised forms.

“I had the interest to paint. So, I went to school. I love to experiment with materials and colours though I paint more,” he enthused.

This is not his first group art exhibition. From 1998 till date, he has participated in several exhibitions, which include three solos and 22 group shows or thereabouts in Nigeria and abroad. Adeodunfa's works include installation of carnival floats and effigies for the Lagos State Carnival Floats 2010 till date, The Calabar Carnival (Seagull band Float) 2012, The Eyo Festival Effigies from 2010 to 2011 and The National Sports Festival Opening Ceremony held in Lagos State in 2012.

With the dream of enlarging and growing his collection, Adeodunfa said he once had his gallery in Lagos called ‘Tents’. “I want to grow my collection and then promote younger artists.”

An indigene of Imala, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, he has won numerous awards including: Mydrim Pastel Exhibition (2007), Guinness Art Award (2004), Xerox National Art Competition (2000) and Best Final Year Painting Student (1998).

Some of his art exhibitions include a 2007-Miniature Show at Terra Kulture VI, Lagos; 2008- Instinct, National Museum, Lagos; 2009- Art of Friendship,Abuja;2010- Colours & Carnival 1, Calabar; 2010- Lagos Black Heritage;2010- SICA, Cotonou; 2011- Colours & Carnival II, Calabar; 2012-Colours & carnival III, Calabar; 2012- Firebrand, Nimbus Art Center,Lagos;2014- The defining Moment, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

So, art connoisseur Nita-Nkese Ephraim, CEO of Makadel Design and Style School enthused Adeodunfa’s lace work as new, fresh and captivating; adding that the mixes the universal use of lace and African arts to give his paintings an unmistakable character.

In all, the artists created pieces that appeal to and nourishes the mind through their various styles like paintings, drawings and sculptures that are blended in for sheer visual delight, some art lover had said. So, you might want to agree with Daniel Birnbaum, who says, an art work is more than a commodity. It represents a vision of the world and if taken seriously must be seen as a way of “making a world”.