The Gallery of African Art presents Chronicles Of The Enchanted World – a solo exhibition of new and recent works by multi-talented Nigerian artist Victor Ehikhamenor.

His seamless shift between the fields of painting, installation, sculpture, video and photography has marked Ehikhamenor out as one of Nigeria’s most exciting contemporary artists. The focus of the exhibition will be Ehikhamenor’s paintings and site-specific sculptural installations that explore his rich cultural past. Drawing inspiration from African folklore, mythology, history and religious iconography, Ehikhamenor’s paintings and sculptural installations reconstruct characters and events from the past to create a new contemporary reality. This response is visualised through charcoal, acrylic, enamel and an innovative perforation process.

Victor Ehikhamenor’s reach as a visual artist has more recently resulted in a collaboration with Nigerian Fashion House Ituen Basi. Many of the paintings and motifs from Chronicles Of The Enchanted World were used in the Summer 2014 collection.

PRIVATE VIEW: Wednesday, 21st May 2014   6:00PM – 8:30PM

GALLERY TALK: Saturday, 24th May 2014   2:00PM – 4:00PM

To accompany the exhibition, Victor Ehikhamenor will discuss his work and creative process.

Victor Ehikhamenor is a Nigerian visual artist, photographer and writer. He was born in Udomi-Uwessan, Edo State. He has a BA degree in English and Literary Studies from Ambrose Ali University. He also holds an MS in Technology Management and MFA in Creative Writing from University Of Maryland, College Park, USA. Ehikhamenor has been prolific in producing abstract, symbolic and politically motivated works with unmistakable ties to his old Benin Kingdom background. His works are influenced by the duality of African traditional religion and the interception of Western beliefs, memories and nostalgia. His symbols and motifs are reminiscent of his childhood village shrines art drawn by women. He has had numerous exhibitions with a strong following in Nigeria, United States and Europe. As a writer, he has published numerous fiction and critical essays with academic journals, mainstream magazines and newspapers from around the world including: New York Times, CNN Online, Washington Post, Farafina, AGNI Magazine and Wasafiri Magazine. His art and photographs have been used for editorials as well as book covers by award winning authors like Chimanmada Adichie, Helon Habila and Chika Unigwe. His book ‘EXCUSE ME!’ — a satirical creative non-fiction view of life as an African both at home and abroad is a recommended text in two Nigerian universities. Ehikhamenor maintains a studio in Lagos, Nigeria and Maryland, United States.

Gallery of African Art
Over the past decade, the visibility of African art has been steadily increasing through exhibitions, publications, auctions, and cultural exchange. The Gallery of African Art Ltd (GAFRA) is dedicated to showcasing the best of 20th Century and Contemporary visual art from the African region and its Diaspora. The gallery aims to present established and emerging African artists to new audiences within the global art market.

www.gafraart.com