With the energies of creativity that cut across the functionality and critical appreciation of art, Fiyin Koko’s artistry comes fresh with little or no restriction baggage in sculpture and painting. The aura of innocence of Koko’s works of art resonates from her strokes of colours and moulding styles.
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Koko’s touch of freshness into the Lagos art space opened early December at Yenwa Gallery, Victoria Island, Lagos, to close January 7, 2024.
After featuring in quite a number of group exhibitions, since 2020, in Lagos, Koko’s art of exploring new themes appeared to be growing steadily as she celebrates the energies of women in her solo art exhibition titled ‘Water Me’.
With paintings, sculpture and installation welcoming visitors on the ground floor of Yenwa Gallery, radiation of new aura was no doubt in the air as visitors went through the wall and floor pieces.
With paintings such as The Door, Table of Contents and Tea Time, Koko’s capturing of figurative and abstract representation generated suspense that would be hydrated later in other works on display. In her choice of glazing ceramic pieces, Koko applied blue and darkened textures for different set of themes, creating eclectic approach in one space.
Perhaps of more interest were the pieces she tagged Vessels, which were bathed with quite some motifs that enhanced the works’ aesthetics.
Combining functionality and aesthetics, Koko’s ceramics also came with duality of ancient and modern designs. Among such pieces are Gali (waves, 10 x 8 inches) and Heirloom (partly smoked, partly glazed ceramics, 11 x 7 inches).
Basically, the Vessels theme celebrates women’s courage and passion for humanity. “In the melody of ‘Beat of My Own Drum’, a woman stands proudly, wielding a vibrant blue talking drum with intricate yellow details—a sculpture reincarnated digitally,” Koko wrote in a text accompanying one of the pieces.
“The warm yellow background bathes the scene in a radiant glow, it feels like a new dawn or a new day or a day in ‘The Happy Place’ dreamland.”
In both painting and sculpture, Koko appeared to be more in love with blue colour, comparatively. Whatever blue means to anyone, Koko explored it for dramatic and poetic appreciation, creating a connection between simplicity and aesthetics.
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In fact, her love for blue crept into the presentation of the exhibition as a section of the ceramics display challenged the traditional white background in art management.
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“The predominant blue hues, symbolizing serenity, contemplation and in parts, depression & loneliness are juxtaposed with vibrant yellows and oranges, representing resilience and the warmth of hope, creating a visual dialogue of emotions,” curator of Water Me, Ugonna One stated.
“A companion is almost always present; whether in the form of the blue woman or the yellow stool, a recurring motif that serves as a reminder that we do not journey alone. The fountain installation invites participation and symbolizes communal interaction. It keeps the viewers connected to the present whilst engaging in a ritual of dreaming, wishing and creating.”
Mentored by her mother into becoming an artist, Koko’s childhood was full of creativity that would later blossom into full-time studio practice. After she got her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Environmental Science from North Carolina State University in the USA, she returned to her creative calling in 2020.
Her group exhibitions included: The Noire, Lekki, 2020; Retreat Forward, Yenwa Gallery, 2021; SPLIT Female Art Exhibition, Whitespace Creative Agency; Afrofutourism, Red Door Gallery; Art at Ouida Group Exhibition JCAA Callery; The Artist Commune, One Art Gallery, 2022; all in Lagos.
In 2023, Koko continued showing at exhibitions such as ‘About Damn Time’, Sabo Art Advisory; ‘Inner Space’, Yenwa Gallery; ‘Transtemporal Travel’, Nomadic Gallery; and ‘Notice! We Are Here, at Visions in Clay Collective, LABAAF2023, all in Lagos.
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