BusinessDay 04 Feb 2018

Sunday 04 February 2018
C002D5556
BD SUNDAY 35
Arts
Ayo Akinwande and his journey to creative freedom
OBINNA EMELIKE
In an era when many
artists, especially
the emerging ones
are trying to create
signature expressions
that will set them
apart from the rest, Ayo
Akinwande easily express
himself in the most
creative way.
The trained architect
turned photographer
and multimedia artist is
unique with his work; a
growing practice, which
involves experimentation
with photography, installation,
performance, video
and sound in exploring
the concepts of identity,
perception, duality and
the multi-faceted layers
of the human reality.
His works are soughtafter
because his ability
to experiment with both
black and white colours
in a creative process and
storytelling. The intellectual
insight he brings
to bear in his works also
amazes visual art lovers.
“While I work in different
genres of photography
like fashion, portraiture,
landscape, nude, my focus
is on exploring the
performative possibilities
of daily life through
critical views of social,
political and cultural issues
from the contemporary
Nigerian context”,
he explains.
Another intrigue of
the visual artist is his
Ayo Akinwade
Deaf vs. Dumb installation by Ayo Akinwade
use of archival materials,
such as newspaper prints
and posters, to engage
with memory and history,
yet he finds time
to research through his
works, the role of beliefs
and mythology from a
West African perspective
by investigating rituals,
traditions and routines.
For instance, in his
project titled “Boju-Boju”,
a popular Yoruba traditional
game played by
children which is an indigenous
adaptation of
the game of Hide and
Seek, the artist explored
the concepts of identity,
perception, duality and
the multi-faceted layers
of the human reality using
a number of select West
African masks and nude
figures to create a visual
narrative in addressing a
wide spectrum of salient
social phenomena and
maladies which seem to
have attained the status
of normalcy in everyday
lives and society at large.
He also does activism
with his craft. In one of
his current projects titled,
Power Show by Ayo Akinwale
“Generation X”, he used
sound, found objects and
photographs to create
series of installations,
which seek to address the
electricity and economic
problems in Nigeria.
Furthering that series
of self-styled fight for
the common man and
push for a better society,
the artist in his most recent
work, a site-specific
installation piece with
sculptures and sound
titled “Deaf vs. Dumb”
takes its point of entry
from the unending “Fight
against Corruption” campaign
by the Nigerian
government.
He attempts to wade
through an ideology trajectory
and pose questions
which situate the viewers
in the same scope.
In his journey to creative
freedom, Ayo Akinwande
found expression
in the art of photography
and has since sought to
expound his expressive
and thematic scope. His
work focuses on the performative
possibilities of
everyday life; drawing his
props from the same palette.
He strives to recreate
surreal experiences which
he believes through keen
observation can be traced
in memory and reality.
He addresses social issues
with the use of satire,
while holding a light to interpersonal
relationships.
Besides his solo exhibition
tagged “Boju Boju” in
Lagos in 2015, he also had
his first solo exhibition in
Europe in that same year
titled “Women of Africa”
at Blank Wall Gallery in
Athens, Greece.
The solo exhibition
series were followed by
Census Clock in 2016.
It was an installation
of handbell, wood,
246x60x60 cm.
He has participated
in over 10 selected projects,
12 group exhibitions,
three solo exhibitions and
two artist residences including;
2016 International
Institute for Creative
Development (IICD Centre),
Abuja, Nigeria, and
2016 CCALagos ASIKO
International Arts School,
Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ayo was part of the
“What’s Inside Her Never
Dies” group exhibition
at the Yeelen gallery in
Miami, USA. The same
show was also featured at
the 2015 Art Basel Miami.
He was a contributor
to the Book “ASIKO: On
the Future of Artistic and
Curatorial Pedagogies
in Africa” by the Centre
for Contemporary Arts
Lagos, with images from
his photo series “Postcards
from Addis” included
in his visual essay.
His works have also been
featured in art reviews
and publications such
as Art Africa, Dienacht
Magazine, PoetsArtists,
Punch Newspapers, Contemporary&,
The Sole
Adventurer, and SomethingWeAfricansGot.
Akinwande co-curated
the first Lagos Biennial of
Contemporary Arts and
was also one of the participating
artists at the show,
which held at the Nigerian
Railway Museum. He
was selected for the 2nd
Changjiang International
Photography and Video
Biennial and was also part
of the “Chinafrika-under
construction” exhibition
at the Museum of Contemporary
Arts, Leipzig.
His works have been exhibited
in solo and group
shows across African and
beyond.
The artist, who cut
his teeth at the Center
for Contemporary Arts,
and Lagos International
Art School (ASIKO) was a
participant at the Art Action
Academy workshop
organised by the Centre
for Artistic Activism after
which he was conferred
with the title “Creative
Artist” by the academy.
The artist lives and
works in Lagos. His work is
in the collection of the National
Museum, Lagos and
other private collections.
However, the artist is
staging another exhibition
to open the year.
Titled ‘Power Show’, the
exhibition features an
installation, photography
and performance art. It is
curated by Erin Rice and
opens from February 3 till
21st at Omenka Gallery,
Ikoyi Crescent, Lagos.