Dressing up Nigerian has finally come full circle. Rele Gallery, leading contemporary art gallery made sure of that this past weekend.
From being allotted glossy pages of lifestyle magazines, to black and white ones in soft sells, to being touted in online media, and Instagram pages of fashion taste makers, dressing up Nigerian has for the first time gotten its due in artistic form, in a career-defining exhibition, by illustrator and visual artist, Ibe Ananaba.
The exhibition, titled “Selense” opened last weekend at Rele Gallery.
A collection of 30-odd pieces that capture the enthusiasm with which Nigerians embrace spirit of dressing for public spectacle. In generous strokes, oils and colour, the artist brings to life, women from runways, dandies from the street, show-offs and statement makers for whom extravagance is a statement to be made. The Nigerian ‘celebrity’ and ‘socialite’ have become forces to reckon with in their own right, wielding a unique kind of influence on how Nigerians dress and see themselves.
Selense, literally means to show off.
He shows how Nigerians remain resilient f Nigeria’s problems and quite often, in spite of it.
Guests also enjoyed Cointreau’s selection of Cointreau Fizz cocktails, while they fed their eyes and minds with works on display.
You will be well advised to come see it Selense, if you haven’t. The exhibition is open until September 26th 2016. And come dress to kill, you don’t want to be upstaged by 2D paintings, do you?
