In the last decades of the twentieth century, it was possible to visit art Biennales or Documentas where, in the throes of the mania for all things conceptual, painting, especially figurative, had all but disappeared. Painting in general was considered an antiquated means of expression and no longer of any relevance. As the art world began to look at areas of the world which had been overlooked by the western canon, such as Chinese and now African painting, painting the figure started re-gaining importance so much so that today figurative painting is the prominent form of artistic expression.

The history of western art revolves around the drama of the human condition. Portraying the figure in a variety of guises has been a continuum throughout the centuries and artists have continually found new ways of looking at the figure and thereby talking about the human drama. All of the nine painters included in the exhibition have found a particular way to paint the figure without falling back on typically ‘realistic’ tropes.

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The name Floor One 9 has two meanings. The first is a play on the infamous “Nigerian Scam” which has been coined regionally as “419”. If you have been “419’d, you have been scammed by someone, somewhere in Nigeria. Although it carries a negative connotation, this three digit slang term can also be used playfully during daily interactions. “You are a 419 my friend!”, “This is the real deal, it is not a 419”.

Caline Chagoury – using this every day life term – has decided to Floor One 9 the art space known as Art Twenty One, transforming it into something new and unexpected while continue to celebrate Lagos and contemporary art and design by talents based in Africa.

By taking this term and playing into the general idea that is linked to many negative misconceptions of things in Nigeria or more generally Africa – we are looking to show all the good that this continent has to celebrate. A continent filled with talent, colour, and beauty. This is what Floor One 9 will showcase.

The second meaning is in the number “19” – it has been in the making for a long while now and is coming to life in 2019… and all we need is a floor we can transform. In this case, Art Twenty One’s. And so – through this project – we plan to Floor One 9 more spaces as we go along.

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Gallerie Voss Germany presents Uthman Wahaab at 3rd edition Art X Lagos

Uthman Wahaab is a fine art graduate of the School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. His work covers a spectrum of concerns that include questions of identity, beauty and sexuality, studies of cultural influences that inform technological change and social shifts in Africa and examinations of the manner in which globalism and post-colonialism complicate the continent’s social landscape. Wahaab considers it his duty as an artist to provide a critical lens on the complex dynamics of these interrelated issues. His practice encompasses painting, film, photography, sculpture and installation, and each series begins life as a new sociological study requiring its own medium.

Past exhibitions of his work include TAFETA Presents, Art Tafeta, London (2019); Verticality, Rosenfeld Porcini Gallery, London (2018); Thinking Through Drawing, Sapar Contemporary Gallery, New York (2018); TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, Washington, D.C. (2018); and Phenomenal Woman, Sapar Contemporary, New York (solo, 2017).

The Akete Art Foundation is delighted to announce selected artists to participate in the main exhibition for the 2nd Edition of the Lagos Biennial. The curatorial team for the biennial consisting of: Antawan Byrd, Tosin Oshinowo, and Oyindamola Fakeye have made a selection of 38 Artists from a total of 350 applications. Selected artists have responded critically to the theme of the Biennial ‘’How to Build a Lagoon with Just a Bottle of Wine’’ through their proposals.

The Lagos Biennial will be open to the public from  26th of October – 30th November. More details on www.lagos-biennial.org