The Road to Ascension
In a group show called ‘Ascension’ hosted by Anny Roberts, a photographer marks the journey of self-discovery alongside his artist-friends at BO CONCEPT, Victoria Island, Lagos. Yinka Olatunbosun reports.
The live band was no distraction, rather, a part of the mise en scene. Photography mixed with oil and acrylic paintings adorned the home décor showroom where the opening of the show ‘Ascension’ held the audience in awe for hours. The atmosphere of camaraderie was interrupted by a few paparazzi moments mostly targeted at the flamboyantly clad Annie Roberts surrounded by ‘effortlessly elegant’ guests. A modern and contemporary artist, Roberts staged this first show to mark his transition from commercial photography to this deeply conceptual artistry. With seven years’ experience as the master of the lens, he situates some of his work around classical mythology, African legends with a hint of mystery. For instance, in the series titled ‘God Dey,’ an African man sprawled out on a magnificent couch is a portrayal of cultural transplant. Largely inspired by Greek mythology, ‘God Dey’ alludes to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of introspection.
“This is one of the pieces I worked on during the pandemic,’’ Roberts began. “I started thinking about this and after the lockdown I started creating large pieces about four of them simultaneously. I was trying to speak about African divinity and how this juxtapose into Greek mythology. It looks like the main character in Greek mythology. I feel we should tap into these stories. We have our own Gods and our stories. We need to celebrate ourselves more as Africans.’’
In the piece ‘Sojourner,’ a myth is created about a God that gives people good vibes. Roberts collaborated with Ikenna- the actual storyteller whose mask from the village triggered the narrative.
Curated by KUKOYI, the Creative Director of the experiential marketing company-Awure, KUKOYI, the venue of the show was unconventional yet fitting. A potential collector wouldn’t have to imagine what each piece would look like in a home.
“Ascension is one of the experiences that we curated and it is designed to help artists come into the limelight. For modern artists that create new pieces, we want to build a good platform for them to be seen by the world. For four years, I used to work with a gallery in Manchester, the first African gallery in the UK. I noticed Anny’s works about five years ago. When I moved back to Nigeria to do my business, it coincided with him wanting to exhibit his works
“One of the things that I am passionate about is to remind us about what the home should feel like. While growing up, we used to hang family pictures on the wall so I think art needs context. To appreciate African art, it needs to be put in a home and that is what we have done here. Seeing art in context really increases the experience of that artist. Maybe if we can imagine it, then we can recreate it.”
Other works at the show include Dara Banjo’s ‘Evolution,’ Oluwatobi Fakile-Teda’s ‘The Father, The Man,’ Ikechukwu Victor Agwu’s ‘Ascending Mind’, O.A. Mariam’s ‘Lust’ and ‘Could this be Love, Truly?’ and Peter, John Chukwu’s ‘Dread.’
The show which wraps up the year can still be viewed after the holidays in Jan 2023.
