Nigerian artist Kingsley Ayogu’s solo show in Lagos, Nigeria, explores themes of release, freedom, identity, and visibility through a vibrant series of mixed media artworks.
On View: August 24 – September 21, 2024
August 22, 2024 (Lagos, Nigeria) – Lagos-based African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), in collaboration with SOTO Gallery, is proud to announce ‘If Hives Could Dance in Colors’, a solo exhibition by renowned Nigerian artist Kingsley Ayogu, curated by Princess Ayoola. Opening on August 24, 2024, at the SOTO Gallery Space in Lagos, this exhibition marks a pivotal moment in Kingsley’s artistic evolution. Known for his meticulous hyper-realistic portraits, Kingsley now embarks on a journey beyond technical mastery, embracing new materials and techniques to explore themes of release, freedom, and self-expression.
In ‘If Hives Could Dance in Colors’, Kingsley draws inspiration from the metaphor of the hive—an emblem of order and industriousness that also signifies confinement. This series bursts open the hive, revealing a vibrant dance of colors and textures that symbolize the artist’s liberation from convention. Through the introduction of sponges, nets, and layered textures, Kingsley’s work challenges viewers to engage more deeply, moving beyond passive observation to a participatory experience that resonates with the themes of love, care, and visibility.
Kingsley Ayogu (b. 1994) is a Nigerian artist from Enugu, Nigeria. He studied at Enugu State College of Education, where he earned a National Certificate in Education in Fine and Applied Art Education in 2017. Moving to Lagos later that year, he began his professional art career, quickly gaining recognition within the contemporary art sphere for his hyper-realistic portraits, primarily in oil paint.
At the crux of Ayogu’s work is a rewriting of the history of Africa that includes its sons and daughters in the diaspora and the collective ideas that connect these multifarious histories to an awakening of a renewed consciousness. Recently, Ayogu has been experimenting with nets in what he calls the Harmonization of Painting, creating a "feel-good" sensation that celebrates identity, fragility, and resilience. His work has been featured in significant exhibitions, including Dig Where You Stand, and he was a finalist for the ART X Lagos Prize in 2022. Ayogu lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
‘If Hives Could Dance in Colors’, curated by Princess Ayoola, will be on view at the SOTO Gallery Space, Lagos, from August 24 – September 21, 2024.
EXHIBITION DETAILS:
Grand Opening: August 24, 2024 SOTO Gallery Space, Lagos | 4:00 p.m.
Venue: SOTO Gallery Space, Lagos, Nigeria
On View: August to September 2024
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Address: 10 Omo Osagie St, Ikoyi, Lagos 106104, Lagos, Nigeria
ABOUT AFRICAN ARTISTS’ FOUNDATION (AAF):
African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), founded in 2007 in Lagos, Nigeria, is a decentralized, multivalent, metamorphic art space that embraces community values and experimental artistic principles. AAF is dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of contemporary art, design, and culture through residencies, workshops, innovative exhibitions, and educational programs.
ABOUT SOTO GALLERY:
SOTO Gallery is a contemporary art space in Lagos, Nigeria, dedicated to showcasing innovative and boundary-pushing artworks. The gallery aims to foster artistic expression and cultural dialogue by providing a platform for emerging and established artists to exhibit their work.
Image Credits:
1. If the Ubendy Could Bend. Courtesy of the African Artists’ Foundation and SOTO Gallery.
2. Kingsley Ayogu. Courtesy of the African Artists’ Foundation and SOTO Gallery.