Ken Nwadiogbu: Contemporealism

From 3rd – 6th October, 2019, The Brick Lane Gallery, East London will present Contemporealism, an exhibition of hyperrealistic works of art by Ken Nwadiogbu. Featuring over 25 original works of charcoal and acrylic on canvas and his first limited edition print release, the show marks the first solo exhibition by the Nigerian artist. Nwadiogbu documents, evaluates, interrogates and challenges socio-political structures and issues with the aim of giving a voice to the voiceless –speaking on behalf of those who cannot be heard. As a result of his art activism, Nwadiogbu creates realistic imagery and employs elements of contemporary art to create illusion of form and space to tackle these issues he sees and experiences in his home country. Working primarily with charcoal, acrylic and collage, the artist’s work trigger an intense emotional connection with viewers. Conceptualized by his desire to create social change, he debuts new body of work in Contemporealism and re-enforces the ills within the African society, while inviting viewers to ponder and question commonly accepted socio-political norms and structures. By creating hyperrealistic drawings that address African issues, Nwadiogbu is able to firmly situate and make more visible Africans and even those in diaspora, within the context of broader issues affecting their day to day lives. Through each work, he able to engage with his viewers while changing narratives one piece at a time. Born in 1994, Ken Nwadiogbu, popularly known as KenArt, is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and describes his work as ‘Contemporealism’ –a fusion that is primarily centered on Hyper-Realism and Contemporary art. www.thebricklanegallery.com