Yinka Olatunbosun
It was a heartwarming moment at Mydrim Gallery recently when the renowned portrait painter and art instructor, Wallace Ejoh unveiled a few of his latest works at a press preview held at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi. Ejoh, an unassuming artist, was already waiting at the gallery by the time the journalists arrived in dribs and drabs. Of course, he is no stranger to waiting; having waited for 20 years after his graduation from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos before he had his first solo show.
The show, titled Dipped in Chocolate, will be his third solo exhibition, one that subtly explores black aesthetics in his paintings. Observing that his models tend to be light-skinned in the past, Ejoh deliberately chose to represent African beauty through darker skin tones. As an Accra, Ghana-born artist with a higher national diploma in painting from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Ejoh naturally explores the black skin as a subject.
After completing his industrial training under Abiodun Olaku and Alex Nwokolo, he was inspired to teach painting and probe deeper into techniques, which led to his preoccupation with depicting the black skin – a common sight in West Africa.
Ejoh’s broad oeuvre encompasses several themes, including urban landscapes, traditional Nigerian dancers, musicians, and the female form. An astute observer of social life, he drew upon the ceremonial dressing of Nigerian women to create a twin portrait titled “Dress Code I and II”, with soft yellow fabric draped across the model’s chocolate-toned skin. His expressive technique involves painting wet on wet, balancing virtuoso brushwork with thick, opaque strokes for highlights.
The artist prefers to paint indoors, where he can creatively control and balance the artificial light. An accomplished painter, he stands out in his unique ability to manipulate his oil medium. Although he has participated in several group exhibitions in London, Holland, and Lagos, nothing beats his return to the vibrant Nigerian art scene to showcase his ingenuity once again.
“There’s a saying that every artist dips his brush in his own soul,” he explained to a handful of journalists at the preview of his 15 works. “When I started my solo shows, I started to use a limited palette. One of the reasons for the title is that my brush has been dipped in a limited palette. I’m a figurative artist and while I was preparing for my shows, I often noticed that most of the models I sought for are always light-skinned. So, I decided to change the skin colour in my painting using the limited palette.”
By rejecting European beauty ideals, Ejoh seeks to reclaim and redefine the narrative of black beauty, emphasising the inherent worth and elegance of the African woman. Notably, his pieces “Femme Fatale I and II” showcase his mastery of artificial light, creating visual depth and colour balance. According to Dr. Bolaji Ogunwo, a professor of painting, this exhibition marks a significant departure from Ejoh’s earlier discordant palette to a deliberate “Negro chroma” that reflects his African ancestry. Through his vibrant and expressive art, Ejoh inspires a renewed sense of cultural pride, self-love, and acceptance, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and diverse definition of beauty.
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