Ken Nwadigbu inspired by ENDSARS protest, BLM in first US solo exhibition
By Mutiat Alli
For three weeks beginning from March 6 to 27, Nigerian art sensation, Ken Nwadiogbu debuts in the US with his first solo exhibition at the reputable Thinkspace Projects space located in the burgeoning Los Angeles’ West Adams District.
With an eye for uncommon young talents such as Nwadiogbu, the LA-based gallery has been at the vanguard of showcasing new contemporary art talents connecting them with the enlightened US art audience comprising curators, collectors, enthusiasts, and scholars among others.
In October 2019, Nwadiogbu’s similar debut in the UK at The Brick Lane Gallery, East London attracted a room full of new audience who went home with a remarkable first impression of his artistic expression.
The sold-out show tagged Contemporealism showcased 25 original works of charcoal and acrylic on canvas.
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At Thinkspace Projects, Nwadiogbu interrogates contemporary social-culture issues from his worldview with about twenty new hyperrealist works.
Some of the dominant theme of his latest collection include the ENDSARS protest and Black Lives Matter (BLM) that rocked Nigeria and US, respectively.
He investigates representation through a focal-point of eyes as a means of discovering and revelation.
By recreating his own realities as a young Nigerian, his work projects the experiences encountered by black lives around the globe.
Nwadiogbu invokes a humanist connection to the ongoing issues of police brutality, racism, xenophobia, culture conflict and shock.
Working with charcoal and acrylic he creates a hyperrealist narrative that demands socio-political thought and discourse, bringing the ideology full circle by emphasizing an understanding that we are more alike than different.
Societal tendencies drive Nwadiogbu’s work and his commitment to technique amplifies the intention behind every mark.
Nwadiogbu explains, “My love for drawing faces of everyday people through ripped paper was born from a need to identify Africans in major global contexts.
These juxtaposed pieces became my way of exploring, evaluating, interrogating, and challenging socio-political structures and issues within the society.
He continues, “I believe that the eye is a window into the being of any human and as such, make it a constant symbol in my latest body of work.
The focal point of my art is on black lives; recreating my experiences and those encountered by the people around me such as police brutality, lingering racism, xenophobia, culture conflict and shock.
Working with charcoal and acrylic on canvas, I am able to invoke empathy in the viewer forcing socio-political thoughts and discourse, and making them aware enough to respond to what is going on in the society.
Speaking about the exhibition Andrew Hosner, curator and co-owner of Thinkspace Projects, “We’ve known Ken for a couple years now and it is an honor to provide a platform for his debut U.S. solo exhibition.
Nwadiogbu is an incredible talent and his story will help to also tell Nigeria’s story. Such an important show and we are thrilled to be presenting it in tandem with Ken.”
Nwadiogbu studied Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Lagos, Nigeria dividing his time between his canvas and his notebooks.
The self-taught 25 year old artist pivoted on a strand of hyperrealism match with contemporary art which he calls ‘Contemporealism.’
He was named by Guardian Life as one of the most “Outstanding Personalities of 2019” and awarded the 2019 Future Award Prize for Visual and Applied Arts in recognition of his contributions to the Nigerian arts community.
The artist has featured in local and international group exhibitions and fairs including Art X, Insanity, It’s not Furniture, Finding your Identity, ArtyramaArt Exhibition, Empowerment Exhibition, Generation Y, Moniker Art Fair, Afriuture, LAX-SFO, In the Making, LAX-MSY and so on.
