Stepping inside the main hall of Londons October Gallery in May and June, visitors were met with a riot of colour. The exhibition Emergent Energies , running until 29 June, presents an innovative and unique selection of works by young artists from across the African continent and within the African diaspora. Each exhibit, eye-catching and utterly unique, captured the vitality and invigoration that each young artist brings to their work as they begin to make their presence known on the international art scene. For that is what this exhibition encapsulated youth, promise, and hope for the future.
Theresa Webers sculpture Stream of Consciousness 2024 is a thing of beauty in glorious technicolour, crafted from beads, mosaic and clay, among other materials. Weber, whose heritage is German-Jamaican-Greek, says that her works reflect her approach to the ever-changing nexus of identity, blending elements from all of her cultural identities. Part sculpture, part performance piece, her Woven Bodies 2022 is likewise crafted from durable materials that suggest tenacity and resilience, while weaving a web of rich, layered storytelling.
Telling storiesTelling stories is also the nexus of the works of photographer and director, Dafe Oboro. Nigerian-born Oboro was conscious of how stereotypes can lead to false narratives and perceptions, and set out to reform Africas representation in mainstream media through the visual mediums of film and photography. His Pour me Water, Pure Water is a series of photographs depicting locals bathing in Lagos after a long days work, captured in intricate detail by the cameras lens. Blending artistic expression with realism, the bright images simultaneously critique the lack of access to clean water and celebrate the resilience of Nigerians living in this urban environment.
Equally eye-catching are the paintings of Ethiopian artist Eyasu Telayneh. Gigantic canvases featuring geometric blocks of primary colours, Telaynehs love of both art and maths are immediately evident in his work. As Telayneh told the Ethiopian Reporter , I get asked what these colours signify and I tell people I work spontaneously. The work he creates, with vibrant layers of paint in a rainbow of hues, is a response to his visualisation of the world around him and is intended to engage viewers in a conversation through which they can explore emotions and feelings. Private Reputation of Colours is painted in bold brushstrokes, and its stark shapes initially trick the eye into appearing three-dimensional. Deliberately ambiguous, they could be people or perhaps objects that is up to the viewers perception.
Each unique piece in the exhibition displays a maturity of talent far beyond the artists years they were all born in the 1990s. Each showcases an individual take on the African continent.
