Gallery 1957, a leading proponent of contemporary African art, is set to make a significant impact at Frieze Seoul's 2024 edition. The gallery's curated group exhibition, featuring a diverse array of artists from the African continent and diaspora, promises to be a highlight of the fair.
The exhibition, which runs from September 4th to 7th at Booth A8, showcases a compelling blend of artistic styles and mediums. From Rita Mawuena Benissan's enchanting textiles to Amoako Boafo's striking figurative paintings, the works on display offer a rich tapestry of contemporary African expression.
Gallery 1957's commitment to nurturing emerging African talent is evident in the inclusion of artists like Kwesi Botchway and Yaw Owusu. Their works, alongside those of more established figures like Modupeola Fadugba and Arthur Timothy, provide a nuanced perspective on the continent's artistic landscape.
A Deeper Dive into the Artists
While Benissan delves into the visual cultural history of chieftaincy in Ghana, Owusu interrogates the very foundations of our value systems. His sculptural paintings, crafted from alchemically treated coins, invite us to contemplate the vulnerability of value and the socio-political and historical frameworks that influence the economy.
The reawakening of the portrait tradition and the centering of Black bodies and stories in contemporary art converges amongst painters from the West African artistic lineage. Real and imagined identities are masterfully depicted in the alluring characters and scenes of Boafo, Botchway, Fadugba, and Timothy.
Boafo's iconic stylistic approach to portraiture resonates as deeply personal while vividly celebrating global Black communities, much like his contemporary counterpart and fellow Ghanaian portrait artist, Botchway. Botchway's characters, instantly distinguishable for their blood-red eyes and textured black and violet-hued skin, find equilibrium between realism and abstraction. Boafo's playful use of iconography elevates his expressive figurations to a state of natural vitality, contrasting with the exuberant and powerful gazes of Botchway's figures.
Fadugba's captivating exploration of memory, identity, and the passage of time is depicted through the delicate interplay of light, shadow, and reflection in her paintings. The golden and bronze monochrome palette illuminates the subtle interactions between the subjects' gazes and body language, with the undulating motif of the swimming pool encouraging audiences to reshape themselves like water.
Timothy's radiant canvases, in contrast, invoke moments frozen in time, conveying a strong sense of serenity while probing the inherent limitations of the human condition. Themes of affluence and oppression are illustrated with nuance and attention to history, with his characters lending themselves to a sense of ongoing transformation. Timothy seamlessly weaves together historical narratives, from the literary echoes of Maya Angelou to the river Nile and the interior of the Pantheon in Rome.
The relentless dynamism of the six artists featured in this exhibition opens up paths for introspection, drawing upon both collective and personal archives to shed light on our interconnected narratives. When experienced together, these artworks culminate to evoke an expansive scope of cultures.
Frieze Seoul Makes An International Statement
Frieze Seoul, now in its third edition, returns to COEX, located in the center of Gangnam. Featuring over 110 galleries from around the globe, this year's fair coincides with Kiaf SEOUL and two biennials in Gwangju and Busan, further cementing its position as the premier international art fair in Korea. The country's place as a major art destination in Asia and within the global art market is strengthened by this year's packed program, which promises to be even bigger and more exciting than ever before.
As Frieze Seoul continues to solidify its position as a premier international art fair, Gallery 1957's showcase serves as a testament to the growing influence of African contemporary art on the global stage. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to engage with a diverse range of artistic voices and to appreciate the richness and complexity of African cultural expression.
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