DIVERGENCE

Alara Lagos is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by the Lagos based contemporary Artist; Alimi Adewale in his maiden show with the gallery.

Divergence spotlights Alimi´s interdisciplinary approach in integrating unique methodologies and concepts into his artistic practice. He has subtly but bravely emerged out of the veil of restrictions and limitations of traditional mediums and found his own path to making unique body of works for this exhibition.

Brushed, scraped, layered and smeared, the dynamic surfaces of his paintings and sculptures radiate with energy. Many of them moderately sized, and are notable not only for their size but for their physical expression of his working process.

For the past several years in an effort to interpret and express his work in new medium he has been practicing his hands on sculptures using wood, and has taken this traditional medium into another plane by painting with varying hues thereby giving life to this material. His works are always about his experiences and after his residency in Europe he started the migrant’s series, he was able to see the challenges and conditions of migrants from Africa and Middle east, this series are charged with questions of who are responsible for the exodus of these migrants from rich and endowed countries into Europe.

Also in the body of work is an ode to Fela, which is evident in the ¨Lady na Master¨ series. African women rising, the achievement of the African women have been tremendous in the last ten years and Alimi portray of Female nude in ¨In her Grace¨ and ¨The three Virtues¨ is not about a cool objectification or idealization of the figure, instead it probes beyond representation to shed light on the female experience, and in this way celebrates femininity.

Divergence is a departure from the norm, to be different, this deviation from the normal is what this body of work projects and I thank Alara Lagos and all the Divergents that have made this exhibition possible.

 

November 2015 Lagos