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Dudu Emmanuel Enlightens With Solo Exhibition At Nomadic Art Gallery

By Guardian Nigeria

29 September 2023   |   12:17 pm

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Dudu Emmanuel’s solo exhibition, which opens at Nomadic Art Gallery, Victoria Island, on September 30, is bound to evoke strong emotions judging by the multi-faceted approaches he has employed.

Dudu Emmanuel’s solo exhibition, which opens at Nomadic Art Gallery, Victoria Island, on September 30, is bound to evoke strong emotions judging by the multi-faceted approaches he has employed.

Proceeding under the theme of Enlightenment, Dudu’s work will excite fans and visitors to the gallery thanks to the diversity of works presented by this multi-media Nigerian artist.

In a plethora of works conceived pre- and post-COVID, the artist skilfully presents the multi-faceted process of experiencing, being or becoming Enlightened.

They range from the inexplicable clarity triggered by the touch of an innocent child, to events dramatically exposing inequities and injustice, to encompass the wisdom accumulated in an old sage.

The vast – at times philosophical – interpretation of the all-encompassing word Enlightened will be front and centre at Dudu Emmanuel’s solo-exhibition. His playful works, which frequently depict human traits or current events, can be found in private collections including that of the King of Morocco in Rabat.

“This particular body of works is very important to me” explains Dudu Emmanuel before adding that “it very much represents how I feel at this point of time in my life and Enlightened is the perfect term for it. It applies to how I feel as an artist, a Nigerian and a global citizen. As a contemporary artist, I believe firmly that I have an obligation to articulate, transfer and evoke sentiments related to environmental, political, social, or cultural issues that strike a chord with my audiences. It is my hope that this solo exhibition will achieve exactly that.”

Some of the works on display are vibrant paintings on canvas while others have been subjected to a creative process that Dudu Emmanuel’s refers to as transmutation – a term usually used in the sciences to explain the process of a specie evolving from one form to another.

The process includes, the use of recycled wastepaper and cartons integrated in mixed-media compositions that take advantage of pre-printed branded designs, print or pigments.

The results are thought-provoking art works with environmental undertones which unambiguously highlight the urgency in resolving issues of consumption and waste while introducing alternative uses of packaging.
Emmanuel was born in 1974 in Benin City, Edo State. He holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from the University of Lagos and has more than 30 exhibitions to his name. His exhibition with Nomadic Art Gallery is his first post-COVID solo exhibition.

The Nomadic Art Gallery has since 2016 been on a mission to provide African art and artists on the continent and in diaspora a strong voice and visibility in Africa and beyond, pioneering what NAG refers to as “the Afrobeat of Contemporary Art”.

The exhibition runs from September 30 to October 21, 2023 from Monday through Saturday at Nomadic Art Gallery located at 22 Adetokunbo Ademola Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.