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Alexis Galleries presents FATE 8, an exhibition of paintings

By Guardian Nigeria
13 February 2022   |   2:46 am
Alexis Galleries is set to present the eighth edition of FATE, an annual exhibition of works that are created by artists

Alexis Galleries is set to present the eighth edition of FATE, an annual exhibition of works that are created by artists who spend three weeks in residence at the gallery.

The aim of the programme is to identify, nurture, mentor, promote and equip emerging artists with space, atmosphere and information that fosters newness, deviation and critical inquiry into conventional ideas.

In this edition, five artists- Gbemileke Adekunle, Ikechukwu Ezeigwe, Mayowa Esan, Peter Agbadu and Uzoma Chinedu – working with oil and acrylic have been invited to tap into their creative depth and present the audience with works that probe and addresses individual space, vulnerability, social and political commentary and resilience.

In the last few years, it has become a tradition for Alexis Galleries to begin each calendar year with a residency that nurtures and guide young and emerging artists in Nigeria. The residency is usually followed by an art exhibition that promotes the works that are created during the residency.

This year is no different, as five artists were identified and invited to spend three weeks in residence at the gallery premises.

During the residency, the artists were exposed to guidance, mentorship and talk-sessions by seasoned and established artists who spent some time with them at different intervals. The resulting works are therefore critically executed to address, interrogate and comment on social, religious, economic and political happenings.

The gallery will be adopting Down syndrome as a non-governmental and not-for-profit organisation to give back to the society.

The show opens on February 19, 2022 at 3:00 pm till March 5, 2022 and is proudly refreshed by Lipton Ice Tea.

The artists.

Gbemileke Adekunle negotiates the canvas space with solitary figures that are depicted with elongated and exaggerated features. Boldly exploring acrylic, he looks into the concept of individual and unshared spaces as rooms of introspection, reflection, molding and preparation.

Taking a departure from personal experiences, Peter Agbadu invites the viewer into men’s untold stories, vulnerability and unshared struggles. His oeuvres consist of figures that are heavily layered with scribbles and doodles of loosed acrylic strokes. Probing further, he also explores the intimate relationship between himself and his mother.

Ikechukwu Ezeigwe confronts the viewer with satiric rendition of political elites, godfather-ism and political schemers. His figures assume animal forms to scrutinize the corrupt, greedy, callous and power-drunk attribute of politicians.

In the paintings of Mayowa Esan, large portraits of women with exaggerated eyes dominate the canvas space. Here, Mayowa seek to draw the viewer’s attention to the eye as the window to various experiences that are embodied by women.

Chinedu Uzoma’s canvasses are characterised by rough and coordinated impasto. Here, Uzoma seeks to engage the viewer with the emotional state of his subjects by exploring nostalgia, expectation and resilience through facial expressions.

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