Arueya showcases ‘Magic’ at solo art exhibition

A very recent exhibition by a Nigerian Artist, Ogheneruemu J Arueya featured the second chapter of a Nigerian political story at the gallery of AMG Project, Lekki, Lagos.

Drawing inspiration from his participation in a pivotal moment in Nigerian history, Arueya’s exhibition explores the chain of events that culminated in what became of the EndSARS protests and its aftermath.

In this body of work, Arueya chronicles the surrealism of being physically present at the site of the protests, the unlikely manner sociological divides gave way to common ground, and the subsequent aftermath of the gas lighting.

Using a visual language based on abstract composition, the paintings in this series successfully communicate intense feelings through the energy and intensity of their scrawl. We see the artist exploring the universality of colour and formal structures to subtly merge, intensify, expand, and deepen the perceptual experience.

In a world that has forced many to the margins, claiming space becomes an act of resistance. The refusal to accept displacement has led artists and the masses, in general, to sprout their roots in places that are often alien and strange, in circumstances that are fueled by acts of great bravery and defiance.

It is in this process that the power to influence for the better or distort for the worse evolves into events that set precedents for Arueya who attempts to communicate the underlying spiritual truth of the universe that turns the bizarre to the ordinary. The result of that experiment is what Arueya termed as Magic.

The artist, Arueya graduated from the Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State with a Higher National Diploma in Fine Art (Painting). He has participated in several group exhibitions and art auctions at Marvel’s Attic Art Auction, United Kingdom, SOGAL Art Auction, and TKMG, Nigeria, and a residency in Kunst Asyl”, Germany. His work was the subject of a Sterling Bank advert to promote culture and creativity in Nigeria. Joel’s work cuts across boundaries and borders, to deliver a literal use of differences in shapes, colours, and lines for the sole purpose of emphasizing and expressing abstract yet cohesive forms. His work can be found both in Nigeria and abroad.