By: Mathew B. Oyedele
A couple of days ago, Ato Arinze
and Djakou Kassi Nathalie opened their joint exhibition at the Quintessence
Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos and the exhibition runs till 24th of June. The works that
are presented in this show offers a marked contrast and deviation from the
functionality label that is consciously or unconsciously tagged on ceramics.
Ato and Nathalie's works are
strongly different in content and style. Born in Cameroun, Nathalie lived and
taught in Cameroun before coming to Nigeria some years ago. Ato schooled in the
southwestern and southeastern parts of Nigeria respectively.The fact that they
both grew up in different environments have major influences on their works.
For Ato, the Nigerian landscape
offers an array of opportunity to define and conceptualize his art. He alludes
to socio-political situations with simple shapes and sound contents. Nathalie's
works neither questions nor comment on socio-political happenings - spontaneity
and primacy of the gestural treatment of the fragile medium is central to her
works.
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| Africa Series |
Ato's oeuvre offers a trajectory
into the rumbles and chaos of the society. He is deeply concerned by the agony
and hardship that the people experience occasionally and positions himself as a
social commentator who participates in public comments through conceptual art.
In Bullet holes and bullet wounds, the artist presents a commentary on
the recent killings in the country by Fulani Herdsmen who attacks villages and
settlements at will.
Africa Series offers a
call to action to all Africans.The continent will account for more than half of
the global population growth in the next few years and Africa is not prepared
for this tremendous growth. How will it be prepared when the young continent is
ruled by old people? The bold text that reads "Awake" in the
series is the artist's call to Africans to take up the responsibility of
transforming, shaping and growing the continent significantly for the benefit
of future generations.
With allusive and humorous
titles, Djakou Kassi Nathalie confronts her spectators with guilt-ridden
contents and daily happenings. Facial expressions presents horror vaccui on the
body of her works and attest to a spontaneous play of lines and shapes that has
been mastered over time.
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| Venus |
In Depression, Nathalie
engages the curiosity of the spectator with personal imprisonment. She
delineate a man with his head buried between his knee in a sitting position. Bits
of circular shapes in repetitive pattern creates translucency and encloses the
work in a spherical form."We are out of jail or in jail because of our
actions" was her response in a brisk conversation. Humorous titles
like Guests, Hesitation, and Wonders shall never end offers a peep into
human reactions to daily happenings.
Both artists employ forms in the
service of their ideas and explore elements of art as metaphors for
representing situations. Ato's colours are reminiscent of the current situation
in the country - red for the constant killings and gray for mourning. He also
employs a wobbled form to delineate the political instability in the country.
Nathalie's facial expressions made with lines and shapes texturizes her works
and addresses man as the prime mover of all activities.
The show however could have had
more appreciation if it was done in a more spacious venue. The spectators had
to move with dexterity while interacting with and appreciating the exhibits. If
one is not careful, one could, by mistake, hit and break an exhibit.
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