Beyond The Canvas: Spring 2022 Edition
Assoukrou Akè
Born in Ivory Coast and based in Paris, Assoukrou works across diverse mediums including painting, mixed media, sculpture, performance art and video.
“I inscribe and situate my work in the great story that is mine and that of the viewer. With the quest for a singularity that would have to be exceeded to reach a critical space, where allegorical references and African sacredness confront each other, navigating around the iconography of the Age of Enlightenment. This confrontation aims to distance oneself from the painful history of the world to build a story of healing. A story that would not be a solution/response to suffering or violence, but a discoverer of the world.”
Nwakuso Edozien
“As an artist, I use diverse materials as a medium to explore and understand the layers and complexities within human identities, especially my own. With my multi-cultural upbringing, identity has been something of a complex journey and question for me. I have spent my life balancing my Nigerian and German heritage, self-reflecting on the experiences, views and opinions that make up my personality and perspective on life, while exploring the various cultures I have encountered through my education and travels. It has opened my eyes to the complexities and inter-connected identities of communities as well as the individuals that constitute them.”
Oluwapelumi Oluyemi
Oluwapelumi Oluyemi creates figurative works centered in stillness and scenes of mundane activities. Her works engage with themes of spirituality, freedom and self discovery.
“My work is inspired by my belief: a spirit that lives in a body, an heavenly being with an earthly experience, a god on earth. Drawing on this concept, I intentionally change the colours of my character’s eyes to reflect that we are “spirit beings” and there are no barriers for spirits despite social and political issues”.