5 Things You Need To Know About Nigerian Artist Matthew Eguavoen

Matthew Eguavoen’s work have created essential dialogue about social affairs in Nigeria. On the current 1:54 Modern African Artwork Truthful in Paris, he was the breakout success of the occasion and is now getting ready for his first main exhibition at Out of Africa Gallery in June. Right here, he talks with Grace Banks concerning the 5 key concepts that drive his artwork.

Earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, Matthew Eguavoen was a Sunday painter, toying with the thought of being a full-time artist. However the isolation that got here with international lockdowns led him to prolonged stretches alone the place he “determined that that is actually what I wish to do.” Two years on, and the Nigerian artist has now developed a loyal viewers of collectors and followers who’re drawn to Eguavoen’s capacity to show the “social and financial disaster dealing with Nigeria” into putting portraits.

“Artwork wants to speak about society and be political, or I don’t actually see the purpose of it” Eguavoen says – “over the previous couple of years African artwork has grow to be far more common within the artwork market, and I wish to see artists use this newfound visibility to articulate the tough conditions that many Nigerians discover themselves in, notably psychological well being and ladies’s rights.”

Eguavoen describes his artwork as “sharing secret messages by up to date portraiture.” It’s a components that’s garnered him a wave of consideration, signing with Afikaris Gallery and lately exhibiting at 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair with them, the place the entire six items he exhibited have offered out.

Based in 2013 by Touria El Glaoui, the truthful has attracted a discerning kind of artwork collector trying to help artists from the African continent. Over the past decade, the truthful has developed a repute for performing as each a spot to gather rising and mid-career artists, in addition to an important area for discovery. Exhibiting artists throughout the African diaspora, El Glaoui has been meticulous in ensuring that value factors are accessible to a wide range of artwork collectors, with beginning costs as little as $2000. Over time, the truthful has introduced lesser-known galleries from Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria to the general public in New York, London, Marrakech and Paris.

Eguavoen wasn’t anticipating his work to promote out so rapidly at 1:54. “I exploit my artwork to unfold messages,” Eguavoen says, “if I can grow to be common overseas, then I can import my messages, that’s the purpose for me. It’s not sufficient to make work since you wish to make a reasonably image” he says, “artists will need to have a message, a goal.”

Right here, he talks about instructing himself to color on YouTube, discovering his goal throughout lockdown and the need for artwork to make an announcement.

Grace Banks: You’ve spoken earlier than about your perception that artwork shouldn’t be well mannered, that it must cope with seismic points in society – notably in Nigeria. Many artists flinch when requested concerning the social and financial messaging behind their work. Why is it so essential to you to commit vital which means to your work?

Matthew Eguavoen: There’s an enormous curiosity in up to date African artwork proper now. And as an artist from Nigeria, I wish to make the most of that. However I additionally view this newfound consideration as a chance for artists to not simply paint a reasonably image, however to ship a message and really speak concerning the critical social, political and financial points occurring in Africa in the intervening time. For instance in Nigeria, now we have elections developing, now we have a political disaster, threats to ladies’s rights and critical financial deprivation. As my profile grows, I really feel that I’m in the perfect place to make use of my artwork to deal with these points.

GB: You latterly exhibited with Afikaris Gallery on the 1:54 Modern African Artwork Truthful in Paris the place your works focussed on psychological well being and ladies’s rights. Why did you resolve to take a look at these points in your work?

ME: Psychological well being and ladies’s rights are nonetheless very difficult points in Nigeria. For instance, within the portray Collector III I’m psychological well being. In Nigeria, the psychological well being dialog isn’t one thing that is held with seriousness in the way in which it’s in different components of the world. Prior to now, once I’ve mentioned I’m depressed, individuals simply have a look at you such as you’re loopy, they don’t know what to say. So I really feel with my work that I can draw consideration to all these points and make it seen to the world, let individuals see how these points are impacting fashionable life in Nigeria.

GB: The exhibition additionally featured a portrait of yours, With All The Cash, of a lady leaning in the direction of the viewer on the couch. The portray was shared a number of occasions on social media through the 1:54 African Artwork Truthful. Who’s that girl, and why do you assume she resonated so broadly?

ME: There are two experiences this girl goes by that I needed to painting, and my viewers are keen on the truth that I’m articulating these points impacting women and men striving for achievement and attempting to generate income. I painted her in crimson sole footwear, a bit of like Manolo Blahnik’s, to convey that she has cash and that she’s a excessive standing particular person. However then there is a gray cloud forming within the sky which you’ll see within the portray by the window. These two contrasting photos trace at the truth that there are specific issues that cash can’t purchase you, and that when you’ve gotten cash, it solely offers you the urge for food for extra. It units you on the by no means ending quest for the following factor, however there’ll at all times be issues which are past our attain. And naturally, there’s extra to life than simply cash and wealth. If the portray helps anybody to really feel extra seen, meaning lots to me.

GB: What would you say are the largest adversities ladies are dealing with in Nigeria now?

ME: Girls are confined a lot by society in Nigeria. If you do sure issues, as a lady, you’ll be seemed down upon lots. Society expects extra from ladies than they do for males. If ladies have kids out of wedlock, or pursue a profession as a substitute of marriage, they get seemed down upon. However no person talks a couple of man who has a toddler with a lady he isn’t married to, no person talks concerning the man’s accountability. Many ladies as we speak are working onerous, beginning their very own companies, and doing nicely. However after they do, it’s quite common for individuals to start out rumors that she’s slept her strategy to the highest, or not achieved what she has by onerous work. Now, I believe it’s depending on males to redress this stability.

GB: You taught your self to color thorough YouTube tutorials. What drew you to the web as a substitute of artwork college?

ME: I wasn’t nice at college and I didn’t begin portray until I used to be 25. Ages in the past, a buddy of mine confirmed me an image from Instagram and I had this intuition to repeat the picture by portray it. In order that weekend I went to get some pencils and paint and checked out a number of YouTube movies and began. As I continued to follow, it was superb to me that I may truly do one thing like that, one thing that I loved a lot. Individuals began giving me odd jobs to color, like their household and issues. And some months later, I offered my first piece.

I believe the truth that I didn’t have a conventional artwork training has actually benefited me. As a result of if I might been taught in school, I’d have been confined to a sure kind of artwork historical past that’s taught in artwork colleges. However I had time to experiment, to strive totally different mediums and strategies. After which through the pandemic, I used YouTube to discover ways to mix colours. That was the one benefit of Covid isolation, I really feel like I’ve lastly arrived at my true model.