The 2020 edition of ART X Lagos, West Africa’s Premier International Art Fair has gone virtual. The event began on December 2 and will run till December 9, 2020.
For the first time, ART X Lagos will be anchored by an online exhibition of 200 artworks from leading galleries across Africa and the Diaspora.
The presenting galleries are Bloom Art Lagos (Nigeria), kó (Nigeria; formerly Arthouse-The Space), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), Ed Cross Fine Art (UK), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Nubuke Foundation (Ghana), LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery (Ivory Coast), SMO Contemporary Art (Nigeria), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Ivory Coast) and OOA Gallery (Spain).
Here are 5 out of the artists whose work will be showcased this year.
EVANS MBUGUA| OOA GALLERY
Working in oil paint on Plexiglas, Mbugua composes his works from a series of dots that result in shapes coming in and out of focus as the viewer moves towards or away from the piece. The #BodyTalk series finds its inspiration in the universal language of dance and seeks to render Africa’s dynamism on the move.
ROMÉO MIVEKANNIN|GALERIE CÉCILE FAKHOURY
In works inspired by photographic archives and iconic paintings emblematic of Western art history, Mivekannin adds a back and forth between past and present by inlaying his face on some of the represented characters, thereby imbuing each work with its own historical time.
RUFAI ZAKARI| NUBUKE FOUNDATION
Ghanaian artist Rufai Zakari is an adherent of the recycled art movement. He creates figurative collages that mimic traditional painting, reimagining his female subjects as living lives of luxury, in contrast to their actual lives. He seeks to transform by revealing their inner beauty and vibrancy.
WOLE LAGUNJU| ED CROSS FINE ART
Wole Lagunju’s work is associated with ‘Onaism,’ a contemporary art movement of the Ife Art School dedicated to reimagining the forms and philosophy of traditional Yoruba art and design. ART X Lagos 2020 marks his first showing in Nigeria in years.
OLU AJAYI| BLOOM ART LAGOS
Olu Ajayi is one of Nigeria’s most versatile and consistent artists of his generation. His experience as a portraitist, realist, experimentalist, and cartoonist constantly renews ideas and merges African traditional skills with modern aesthetics.
The virtual exhibition also includes other programs – ART X Talks, ART X Live!, ART X Review, and ‘New Nigeria Studios’.
ART X Talks is a series of virtual conversations with panellists including Lemi Ghariokwu, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, Kelechi Amadi Obi, Yagazie Emezi, Lola Ogunnaike, and more.
ART X Live! will present ‘Like Someone’s Watching’ – a performance film starring Nigeria’s music talent, Oxlade, Tomi Owo, Jesse Uranta, and DJ Camron, speaking to their aspirations for liberation and self-determination in this present moment.
ART X Review will present ‘The Wrap Up,’ a conversation for young artists with international artist Njideka Akunyili-Crosby, speaking to the growth, place, and potential of the artist in today’s world.
New Nigeria Studios was birthed from the documentation of the recent protests in Nigeria. The exhibition will feature artists that were recipients of the fair’s support initiative for 100 photographers who worked at the frontlines.
Partly culled from Culture Custodian
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