Ekpetorson’s Different Shades Of Being opens in Lagos

Elizabeth Chioma Ekpetorson’s solo show will hold from June 19 to 25, 2021, at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

Titled, Different Shades Of Being, it is Ekpetorson’s second solo show, and it is organised by Affordable Art Online, promoters of the yearly Ibadan Art fair.

Born in April 1991, Ekpetorson, popularly known as Eleez, obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and Design from the University of Port Harcourt.

After a season of internship at the Universal Studios of Art, Lagos, she began an independent practice. Her figurative work body is about self-acceptance, women and other subject matters catalysed by swift response to creative impulses on human issues.

Based in Lagos, where her works are developed from her home studio, she has participated in a lot of art shows at home and abroad.

In creating the works for Different Shades Of Being, she deals with various emotions that non-binary artists go through living in Nigeria.

While coping with depression, she created the works as a diary of how she felt, with some of the works reflecting the highs and lows that she felt, this is manifest in the series ‘duality of nature’ and ‘two seasons’.

With the exhibition, the artist preaches “acceptance of each individual’s unique nature and being, because as humans, we are blessed with variety and different ways of thinking and of living.

“What I do isn’t an integral aspect or a percentage, rather it is me in entirety. It is safe to say it does not start at one point to end at another, but present in all facets. My experiences in life inform my artistic practice in the same way the art in itself continues to have tremendous influence over my existence. In rendering my compositions, I employ human forms as muse, thereby harnessing my feelings, conjuring memories and putting a stamp on the feeling resident in my work.

“In the past, I have encircled my works within an impressionist – cubist root, right now, all art movement labels are stripped off. The motive is to not be boxed up within an identity that does nothing but inhibit artistic possibilities. For a spontaneous practice as mine, it has proven to be not just a box, but also a cage. I am an artist of diverse expressions, with a penchant for nudes and portraits, the drive is to reveal authentic personalities underneath veils, also highlighting the importance of perceiving beyond physical attributes,” she said.

She added that through her works, she seeks to draw attention to self-acceptance: embracing one’s self unconditionally, without fear or exception.

“In telling my story, a large portion is dedicated to women, I paint for the shamed or silenced select of them, untangling their limitations and emboldening them via my art. Ultimately, my art is towards humanity, let every human breathe and be recklessly free. I enjoin each spectator to let go of prejudices based on the exterior, excavate into the distinct characteristic of each entity, animate or inanimate.”

Affordable Art Online is a platform created to make art accessible to everyone. It aims to promote a wider appreciation of contemporary African art beyond veteran collectors and art enthusiasts.

Their mission is to support emerging artists who dedicate their practice towards making a difference. Whether it is painting, poster, print, photography, sculpture or pottery, we strongly believe art has the power to enhance human connection and create a better understanding of life.