By Henry Akubuiro
In a theme celebrating the grace a water bird, six female artists have found something in common with each artist bringing into the gathering rare creative energy.
Titled Six Swans, the group art exhibition of the female artists opens on May 25, ending June 1, 2024, at Signature Beyond Art Gallery, 107, Awolowo Road Ikoyi Lagos. The exhibiting artists, Useh Akpoghene Caroline, Amaghiro Chiamaka Lilian, Balikisu Audu, Eberechukwu Lucia Okoro,
Elizabeth Chioma Ekpetorson and Faith Michael, have been chosen for the gatherinng based on each artist’s rich experience in their individual choice of style.
“Incorporating the symbolism of swans into the Six Swans exhibition adds a layer of depth and meaning to the artwork on display,» Signature stated. «Swans are revered for their grace, beauty, and transformative nature, qualities that parallel the diverse and intricate works created by our featured artists.» The gallery explained that by aligning the exhibition with the graceful symbolism of swans, the gathering aims to create a cohesive and
immersive experience for art lovers. Signature Beyond gave assurance that the exhibition will give guests rare window to explore the themes of beauty, transformation, and self-discovery through the lens of each artist’s unique perspective.
In Eberechukwu’s art, the theme of nostalgia and memories has been a magnanimous influence, energising her artistic journey. “My works are embodied by the thrilling aura of nostalgia. Every piece is a re-incarnate of a fading memory, the record of an impactful event or a coalition of the fragments of a soul striking experience and a subconscious bid to immortalize its ethereal essence.”
Her works have been described as impression of diverse human experiences and memories, subtly interwoven in
carefully laid down brush strokes and dramatic scenes. Through her works, she hopes to capture and immortalize priceless memories which ‘we’ tend to forget. Her paintings create an inviting sweet sour aura of nostalgia capable of drawing in her audience into itself with hopes of causing a reoccurring memory in the mind of the viewer.
Michael, who is one of the prominent emerging new face of art in Nigeria, comes into the Six Swans group exhibition intriguing blend of experimental technique, conversational pallete, personal relationship, existence, experience reality and narratives.
Her art explores issues surrounding the individual state of being courageous in a world full of oppression. She tells compelling stories of the ordinary man; their struggles, debt, win, and societal acceptance. With mentorship from Uzoma Samuel, and Ejoh Wallace, Michael’s art leaped into the personality of a visual artist who understands the strategic processes of how to combine real-life experiences with investigative art imagination.
One of the exhibiting artists, Audu, noted that the Six Swans gathering strengthens her passion in highlighting challenges and prospects of women and the girl child. “As a female artist, my work serves as a canvas for the silent struggles and resilient spirit of women and children,” Audu said in her Artist Statement. “Drawing inspiration from traditional henna dot patterns, I aim to capture the essence of the challenges women and children encounter in a world that often impose limitations.”
Ekpetorson’s life experiences inform her artistic practice in the same way the art in itself continues to have tremendous influence over the artist’s existence. “In rendering my compositions, I employ human forms as muse, thereby harnessing my feelings, conjuring memories and putting a stamp on the feeling resident in my work,” Ekpetorson stated. “In the past, I have encircled my works within an impressionist – cubist root, right now, all art movement labels are stripped off. I am an artist of diverse expressions, with a penchant for nudes and portraits, this is to highlight the importance of perceiving beyond physical atributes.”
In the symbolism of Swans…, Useh Akpoghene stated that the fanciest spike that beautifies the environment is the presence of people with traits and colors of different shades, class, look, creed and volume that are unified to encourage accommodation and compassion.
She noted that “Art has been a mediator to addressing societal,
political, economical and eco-system issues.”
Her art is an awakening for what has been described as “a constant search and alternative to materials innovations.” Also imbeded in her strength is “a search to help figure how the creative world can still span without a limitation to a specific medium.” Among her aims is to apply materials manipulation with a burning zeal to always infuse something new to each body of work.
Amaghiro’s works, according to her statement, primarily encompasses quenchless search for her ‘whats and whys’ through her programmed structure. She disclosed how her search for object of admiration has been a great influence to her creativity.
“For every stroke and smudges realised, comes the struggle and the intention to say something, to make a mark and draw my viewer to ‘come and see’. I consider the art of drawing as the life of every work of art, especially in its rhythmic motion.”