For the second time in 30 years of practice, Oluwafemi Otoki will be staging his second solo show. His first, This Land Is Not For Sale, was in 2022 at the Signature Gallery, Lagos.
Otoki’s painting is inspired by landscape, his passion for preserving the ecosystem, and his love for nature.
For the second show, titled, Landscapes Of My Fatherland, which will hold at the Mydrim Gallery, Lagos, from March 16 to 30, 2024, Otoki will be showcasing 19 works.
“I have had several group shows, however, I had my first solo show at the Signature Gallery two years ago; this is my second solo exhibition.”
He continued: “Two years ago, I came to Mydrim Gallery and told them that I will stage a show at the gallery and right from then, and I began working towards the show and I was able to produce about 15 works.”
On his passion for large canvasses, he said: “I find it easier to express myself in large canvasses. I tell stories better there.
“I have passion for documenting most of the landscapes we have in Nigeria; I am fascinated whenever I travel around the country and have to stop along the way when I see interesting. I take their pictures, then go to the studio to paint. I love nature untouched. I love riverside, mountains and other natural things.
“In those days, we painted sceneries from Oshodi, but it is not the same again, so, we need to preserve what we have. We must do everything within our power to preserve our cultural heritage for our future generations will appreciate our efforts, if not, we will be losing on all sides. We will no longer have an identity if we lose our cultural heritage. We must tell our stories and tell the people on the need to preserve all we have.”
Speaking on his work, he said: “The first thing I think about is the composition. I look critically at the landscape, and how to put things together. There are times we need to remove certain things, there are times feelings should be imposed in the work, and I try to render my work in such a way that it’s subtle; one will hardly see vigorous brush strokes. After the composition, we need to think about the perspective, establish the focal point in the work, and consider the story to be told.”
Speaking on the exhibition, co-curator, Mydrim Gallery, Oluwatoyin David, said: “We observed that aside from being a good artist, he’s consistent in what he does and he’s a keen observer of nature. The way he interprets and expresses his artistic views about the rural areas being neglected and also his efforts to bring the areas to life through his creativity, act of telling stories, are top notch.”
Also, Idowu Bankole, a co-curator in the gallery, said: “I realised in Mr Otoki’s work that he’s preserving history. People who will purchase these works are those who have deep insight and appreciate nature. We are losing what defines our nature, gradually, children can’t speak their mother’s tongue, some do not know the state they hail from because their parents never travel home; so, having these works will help keep memory. I hope this exhibition becomes successful and people will appreciate the work.”
