Yinka Olatunbosun
An all-female group exhibition titled Daughters with Wings set Lagos on a cultural excursion when it opened on May 10, at 202 Gallery by Artspilt. Despite opening shortly after International Women’s Month, the show drew upon the collective’s shared interest in retelling stories that resonate with African women and are relevant to global feminist discourse. Served on a platter of mixed techniques, these young artists—namely Adaoma Nnabeze, Chinaza Nkemka, Titilola Fagbemi, Hannatu Ageni-Yusuf, Victoria Makinde, Ashiatat Shiabu, and Goodness Nnabeze—revved up the art scene with evocative paintings and installations that explored the familiar to deepen the understanding of the unfamiliar.
For instance, Goodness Nnabeze, a first-class graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, presents delicate linework and layered compositions that reflect the transient nature of human existence and the deep connection to the natural world.
Merging painting with sound and poetry, Nnabeze immerses the audience in a multisensory visual journey. With elements of Uli motifs, Nnabeze stays true to the Nsukka art school heritage while exploring identity, culture, and consciousness.
For Adaoma, who is also a product of the Nsukka Art school, her eye-catching mixed-media pieces showcase her artistic growth and experimentation. Her practice is grounded in a deep sensitivity to nature and a willingness to push material boundaries. Working primarily with colored thread and fibre, she constructs layered, organic compositions that reflect human connection, emotion, and fate. Her use of thread, which alludes to fiber optics, serves as a metaphor for the interconnected nature of thought, memory, and experience.
The self-taught artist Chinaza showcases her water-themed series of paintings, captured in a large piece and four other miniatures. Bearing semblance to virtual images on electronic devices, her work is inspired by violent waves and the human spirit.
Working primarily in acrylic and oil, Hannatu paints imaginative figures that probe human emotions, while interrogating the politics of the female hair, allowing her audience to contemplate her forms against the backdrop of the contemporary issues they stir.
Curated by celebrated Nigerian poet and cultural thinker Ijeoma Umebinyuo, this ongoing show aligns with Umebinyuo’s lifelong advocacy and intellectual practice—a continuation of the dialogue she began in her widely acclaimed TEDx talk, “Dismantling the Culture of Silence”, as well as her seminal poetry collection, Questions for Ada. As an important voice in global feminist discourse, Umebinyuo now turns to visual art as a medium of resistance and reflection.
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