Birds move across a sky which is opened up and rearranged, gold-leaf outlines the shape of a swimming pool, underpinned by a glossy indigo brush mark: amanze is interested in the quiet play between these elements and their ability, once combined to alter the perception of space.

amanze’s interventions include hand drawn architectural details, which subtly shift perspective. At times she adds collage, or cuts and repositions the paper, or flips the orientation of the print. Small and perhaps unexpected gestures disrupt the surface, layers of iridescent ink create pools of colour and light.

ruby onyinyechi amanze (b. 1982, Port-Harcourt, Nigeria; based in Philadelphia) is a visual artist whose practice is primarily centred around drawing and works on paper. In a non-linear and fluid narrative, her large scaled drawings explore space, play, magic and hybridity.

amanze’s imagery includes a vocabulary of just seven motifs; “ada (ada the Alien), audre (audre the Leopard), motorcycles, the paper, windows/architectural references, swimming pools and birds”. For amanze these motifs are equal, interchangeable tools with which to orchestrate, manipulate and construct an illogical, magical, space.