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| Amoda |
ADA
DIKE
One of the
finest mixed media artists in Nigeria, Olu Amoda, recently unveiled his newest
body of work in Lagos.
Presented by Art
Twenty One and tagged: ‘Fringe’, the solo exhibition showcased
the artist’s
recent experimentations in sculpture, drawing and installation as
he explored
questions of privacy and public space in the Nigerian urban environment.
Amoda’s use of
unconventional materials and processes, combined with an interest in pertinent
social and political issues, charters new depths by examining the relationship
between surveillance, religion, and the female form.
Central to
Amoda’s investigations are the influences of technology and how virtual
communications
shape and prescribe identity.
Noting the
hyper-consciousness of self-representation that is brought about by the digital
revolution, Amoda focuses his attention to the prevailing presence of the
camera in our daily lives.
Whether self imposed
or brought about by increased modes of surveillance, the omnipresence of cameras
and recording devices in these works suggest a cultural obsession with our “public”
selves.
Set amidst the
works are new series that reference religion and the sacredness of
the private, as
well as depictions of women that highlight the conflicting forces of
sexuality.
The nude and
semi nude women, shown in varying states of undress,
represent the
workers of the commercial sex industry in Nigeria. Rather than
preaching
morality or situating the pornographic as taboo, Amoda celebrates female
sensuality.
Eschewing the line between vulgarity and intimacy, Amoda points out that
the public and
the private are two sides of the same coin and intimately inform one
another.
Born in 1959, Amoda
is a sculptor and mixed media artist, who has become a
leading voice
of the contemporary arts community in Nigeria.
He graduated in
sculpture from Auchi Polytechnic and received a Masters of Fine Arts from
Georgia Southern University. Omada has participated in exhibitions at the Victoria
and Albert Museum (UK), the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Skoto Gallery
(New York), Georgia Southern University (USA), Didi Museum (Nigeria), and WIPO
Headquarters (Switzerland), among others.
He has
completed residencies at Villa Arson (Nice, France), The Bag Factory
(Johannesburg, South Africa), Appalachian State University (Boone, North
Carolina), and the New York Design Museum.
Amoda is the founder
of Riverside Art and Design Studios in Yaba, Lagos. He has taught Sculpture and
Drawing at the School of Art, Design and Printing at Yaba College of Technology
in Lagos since 1987.
In 2014, Amoda
received the top prize at the DAK’ART Biennale in Dakar, Senegal. Amoda lives
and works in Lagos.
Fringe
will be accompanied by a
public programme of related educational events,
including an
artist talk, panel discussion, and visits with school groups.
The opening
reception took place on March
7, 2015, while the press day was on March 11, 2015.
All
the events took place at Art Twenty One at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. Artist talk and panel discussion tagged ‘New
Tendencies in Contemporary Sculpture’ is coming up by 3 pm on April 11, 2015
at the same venue.
Newswatch Times
gathered that Art Twenty One (Art21Lagos) is a 600 sqm space and platform
dedicated to contemporary art in Lagos, Nigeria.
Located at the
Eko Hotels & Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, Art Twenty One is intended
to contribute to and solidify the growing art scene in Lagos, as well as
position the city as a major force in the international art world.
An
unprecedented and unique set up in Lagos, the space is designed to make art
accessible to a
large and growing audience who will be able to engage with a rich
and diverse
range of contemporary art, cultural practice, and educational art
programmes.
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