CCA Lagos presents an exhibition of paintings and installation titled Àsìkò: evoking personal narratives and collective history by the multimedia artist Kelani Abass.

Àsìkò presents a new body of work in which the past is brought to bear on the present. Moving beyond what might be considered a nostalgic tribute to a departed father, Àsìkò is the culmination of a journey of experimentation across disparate artistic media. By intermingling painting, photography, printing techniques as well as an interactive installation, the artist attempts not only to conflate time and space but to highlight the power of technology as a marker and recorder of lived experiences and collective memory. In so doing, Kelani presents a family portrait, a moving personal story that acknowledges the universality of human relationships. .

Àsìkò is curated by Bisi Silva and organised by Jude Anogwih for CCA, Lagos. The exhibition is generously supported by the Institut Francaise.

Artist Talk with Kelani Abass
Saturday 2nd November, 2 -3pm CCA Lagos

Abass will be in conversation with curators Bisi Silva and Jude Anogwih talking about his artistic journey over the past 5 years and especially in the past 2 years leading up to this current solo exhibition. He will talk about his interest in the intermingling of printing, painting and photograph and the role they play in his artistic production. We will also talk about the contextual underpinning of the exhibition exploring themes such as time, technology, memory, as well as autobiography and history and the way in which they manifest in their work.

Kelani Abass, born in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. He studied Fine Art majoring in Painting at the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba Lagos and graduated with a distinction. His aptitude for art was discovered at a tender age by his printer father and typist mother who encouraged him with unlimited supply of materials; off-cut papers, printing inks etc., such access and exposure to various coloured materials enabled him to weave them into beautiful collage formations, cards, toys, mat designs and drawings. Kelani has had two solo exhibitions, Paradigm Shift, Mydrim Gallery Nov. 2009, Man and Machine, Omenka Gallery Nov. 2011 and participated in several workshops, group and joint exhibitions including a 2 weeks international residency organized by CCA, Lagos and Triangle Artist Workshop in 2010; a 4-week International art residency, History/Matter with CCA, Lagos, in 2012. Kelani has received several accolades including first place in the Caterina de Medici International painting competition organized as part of the Black Heritage Festival, Lagos in 2010.

www.ccalagos.org