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Sunday 20 October 2019
Arts There is No Room For Fear in Atlantic House OBINNA EMELIKE
I
f you have been following trending event across the world, you will discover that we are in a more troubled world. From climate change, senseless crimes, killings, political instabilities, natural disasters, among other issues, today’s world has over dose of trouble. But the trouble also presents opportunity for creative people to express themselves and to campaign for a peaceful world. One of such expressions is coming from 12 African artists with intertwined cultural roots spreading across Europe, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica. The artists are united in an exhibition titled ‘No Room For Fear’, a title derived from one of the popular quotes by Toni Morison, a late American novelist, Nobel Laureate and Pulitzer Award winner. She said, “This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal.” Therefore, No Room For Fear, which holds at the Atlantic Hall, London is coming at the right time, especially with all the anxieties around BREXIT in the United Kingdom, amid discrimination and racial hatred that are at an all time high across the world. Also, the exhibition is timely because October is Black History Month and a time to celebrate cultural diversity and recognise the important contribution of people of African and Caribbean descent in the UK. Since October 1, 2019, when the exhibition opened, visitors have been thrilled by works on display by the artists including; Adelaide Damoah, Ayesha Feisal, Carleen de Sozer, Chibuike Uzoma, Enam Gbewonyo, Gabriel Choto, Justina Kehinde, Kenny Adewuyi, Kelani Abass, Olumide Oniadipe, Sanaa Gateja and Tyna Adebowale. Through their paintings, drawings, sculpture, tapestry, mixed media works, spoken word and performances, the artists celebrate the power of their rich diversity, while fighting all forms of discrimination, and tackling socio-political issues. Taking closer look at their works, the creativity, originality, message and theme all combined to make each work distinct and
collectors’ favorite. For instance, Sanaa Gateja’s intricate tapestries of bark cloth, raffia, and paper beads, woven by rural women’s cooperatives in his native Uganda, are an exploration of materiality and nature. The East African artist touches on the importance of preserving natural resources and biodiversity, as climate change threatens the survival and health of communities across the globe. But Enam Gbewonyo’s mixed media works using paper, photographs and nylon tightly crisscrossing her canvas, revealing a complex web of seen and unseen forces, visible and invisible societal pressures and realities existing under the skin of our collective subconscious, calling for healing and restoration. Also, Chibuike Uzoma’s collage portraits with pencil sketches covered by newspaper strips, diary notes, and hundreds of lines written by 14 secondary school students, question historical and contemporary concept of sin and retribution, challenging us to think about what constitutes a just punishment. In same vein, Carleen de Sozer’s street art inspired airbrushed canvases, explore afro-centric galaxies populated by cartoon styled characters with big afros, contemplating the meaning of life and which path to embark on towards a brighter future, while Olumide Onadipe’s large colorful wall hangings created out of twisted,
woven and burnt recycled plastic bags, touch on the wave of migration due to political instability and environmental pressures, and reminds us of everyone’s intrinsic need for supportive relationships. Ayesha Feisal’s work presents emotional and psychological worlds, human forms painted across vibrant red, blue and yellow mindscapes, exploring the many layers of our psyche and the aching need for inner transformation. The Child of My Youth, a video installation by Justina Kehinde, a performance artist, is enthralling to watch. It exhorts youths in the Diaspora growing up racially ambivalent or confused, to seek knowledge and intellectual stimulation while embracing the beauty of their ”living gold” skin color and rich African heritage. Adelaide Damoah’s powerful works explore sexuality, race, and identity through monochrome pigment and gold leaf works alongside performative body paintings rooted in her native Ghanaian language of Twi, Ga and Fanti, while Kelani Abass’ mixed media works use archival printing materials and intricate small paintings and sketches to explore historic socio-political events and personal family and individual narratives, frozen against time and memory. His portraits on scanned passport pages touch on immigration, and how people are labeled within host communities. Gabriel Choto’s delicate portraits are rich in subtle expression,
also touching on intimate domestic scenes such as the poignant communication between grandmother and grandchild; his works highlight strong relationships with finely painted faces and everything else rendered in simple outline. Tyna Adebowale’s faces are covered with intricate lines and patterns calling for an end to all forms of discrimination, as she explores identity, gender, visibility, and the cycle of birth, life, and death, signified by red dots against plain colored backgrounds. Kenny Adewuyi’s bronze sculpture with its elongated and exaggerated human forms, use typical poses to touch on the life of every man and woman dealing with the daily struggle for survival. “No Room for Fear creates space for this commonality to be experienced in one space, to share one breath and to form one powerful statement,” Enam Gbenwonyo, one of the artists who doubles as the exhibition co-curator, and founder, Black British Female Artists’ Collective, said. Speaking on the exhibition, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, exhibition co-curator and founder, SMO Contemporary Art, said, “Whether we look to the United States where the Black Lives Matter movement is coming at a time when racial tension has peaked yet again, or we consider South Africa, where black on black hate crimes have increased, our artists’ work is a powerful positive force calling for a more globally inclusive world”.
Speaking further, Obiago explained that the group exhibition showcases an exciting range of creative expression by 12 exceptional artists who have a global vision while celebrating a rich, intertwined cultural heritage with roots spreading across Britain and Europe to Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe,and Jamaica. For her, the exhibition is worth seeing because the artists use their art to fight all forms of discrimination, and tackle moral and socio-political issues of equity, social justice, representation and diversity. “Celebrating African art and culture is a crucial part of our commitment to respect Africa, one of our four key pillars. We regularly host African art exhibition in our London and Johannesburg offices, to provide a platform for talented artists from the continent to showcase their work and give them much deserved exposure to international audiences”, concluded Andrew Skipper, partner/ head of Africa Practice at Hogan Lovells and advisory board member, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington DC. No Room For Fear, is co-curated by SMO Contemporary Art and the Black British Female Artists Collective (BBFA). It is being hosted by Hogan Lovells, leading international law firm. However, it is open until October 30, 2019 at the Atlantic House in London.
hubs for content creators, publishers, and social media influencers, with thousands of users currently signed up on its platform. Plaqad continues to connect brands and individuals to bloggers, news websites, publishers and social influencers’ micro bloggers, ensuring that these brands irrespective of their size and budget are able to make their voices heard in an increasingly noisy marketplace. The 25 housemates include;
Mercy Eke, BBNaija Season 4 winner, 1st runner-up Mike, 2nd runner-up Frodd, and co-finalists Omasola and Seyi. They will join other celebrities and social media influencers who have already been signed up on the Plaqad platform. Other BBnaija Season 4 housemates include; Elozonam, Diane, Ike, Isilomo, Avala, Kim Oprah, Ella, Khaffi, Gedoni, Jeff, Esther, Jackye, Tuoyo, Sir Dee, Venita, Cindy, Enkay, Thelma, Nelson and Joe.
Plaqad signs 25 Big Brother Naija housemates SEYI JOHN SALAU
P
laqad, Nigeria’s influencer marketing platform, has signed 25 housemates of the just concluded “Big Brother Naija” (BBN) season 4 on its platform. Gbenga Sogbaike, CEO, Plaqad, confirmed that the decision to onboard the former housemates was to ensure seamless collaboration with the newest set of influencers
and to help the housemates maximize their new status. According to him, the development further bolsters the platform’s readiness to meet with the dynamics of consumer engagement via online and offline platforms and to better serve its growing clientele. “At Plaqad, we are all about value and we do this on all fronts for our clients, as well as, the influencers we work with. Our decision to sign up these 25 superstars is a
testament to our commitment to this vision and we are very excited to have them as part of our family. We have already begun talks with them and some of them will be collaborating with Plaqad on a number of brand campaigns in the next few days,” Sogbaike said. Since its launch in 2017, Plaqad has through its impressive showing in the influencer marketing and media content distribution space, quickly become one of the biggest