May-June 2022
Moeshen Gallery Abuja presents ili Art Exhibition.
With textiles as one of Nigeria’s traditional art forms, ili, a visual expose of artistic expressions in Nigerian textiles is an augmented reality of the beauty in fabrics rich in cultural heritage. Using the human form as a canvas, these pieces present Nigerian stories through distinct markings on the subject’s body, creating a skin-deep illustration of the body and the fabric in unison.
ili explores the many colours and artistic expressions in the daily and social endeavors of Nigerian ethnic groups, highlighting underlying connections deeply rooted in these cultural, ceremonial, and even spiritual fabrics.
Beyond the relationship that exists between the cultures and fabrics, ili wants you to enjoy the beauty and intricacies of the fabrics as expressed by Minika Ohobu and Photographed by Hakeem Salaam.
Saturday 28th of May, 2022 saw the opening of ili Exhibition, an expression of African art and culture at BoConcepts, 22 Adetokunbo Ademola street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The art exhibition which showcases interesting pieces using indigenous Nigerian fabric and the human body as canvas features the bold and colourful works of expressionist artist, Mary-Jane Minika Ohobu and renowned photographer, Hakeem Salaam.
The ili Exhibition spots a cross section of fabrics across Nigeria such as Adire, Igbulu, Akwo ocha, Asooke, Ukara, Akwete and a host of others. Each piece spotlights the beauty, history, processes, and the underlying connections within the Nigerian ecosystem.
Ili, which means “cloth” in Idoma, represents the middle, a significant point that binds all parts of the country. The word also means Ofong in Efik, Akwa in Igbo, Opa in Yala, Aso in Yoruba, Zane in Hausa and so on.
Art lovers, collectors and enthusiasts trooped in to see the ili pieces and were treated to a warm reception of food, drinks, music and networking.
The exhibition runs till the 11th of June 2022.