AAF FLAGS OFF 2013 UZORKA 'S SECOND SOLO EXHIBITION

AAF flags-off 2013 Uzorka's second solo exhibition‏

BY PUSHE
It was indeed a delightful evening last thursday in Ikoyi,Lagos as the non- profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary African art,African Artist Foundation(AAF) Inagurates its 2013 program with a solo exhibition of Uche Uzorka.
   The exhibition with its theme,'Line.Sign.Symbol' is the second solo exhibition and most recent works of Uche Uzorka on paper,following his first solo exhibition titled 'The Organic' which was held in association with AAF in October,2012 at the Goethe-Institut,Nigeria.
     Uzorka's second solo works which includes ink and charcoal drawings,sombre tones of black,grey and red which dominates the colour spectrum,boldly protruding from the white and barren remainder of the blank picture plane.
    At first glance,these works are best described as abstract drawings,with amorphous shapes and splashes of colour flowing together in an ambigious and seemingly haphazard rhythm but yet,at closer inspection,meticulous attention has been made to create a myriad of overlapping patterns,bodies and signs,tightly congested together to form a dense combination of complex designs.
     Uche's drawings seem to come across as arbitrarily doodled and it also displays a strict and rigorous attention that creates its structure and congeals its fluid power.In a nutshell,what makes Uche Uzorka's drawings unique is their place between the figurative and the abstract.
     Instead of existing as binary oppositions,Uzorka frames the abstract in a figurative and vice versa.Using strategies that Uzorka refers to as 'contrast and dominance',it is an exercise in how lines become form,ultimately stopping at the decisive moment that they do.
    Uzorka's artistic practice includes painting,collage,cutting and pasting,charcoal and ink drawing in an examination of the processes of urban street culture.He won first place in the Nationl Art Competition in 2011 for his collaboration with artist,Chike Obeagu.He graduated in 2001 from the University of Nigeria,Nsukka majoring in painting.
The exhibition,'Line.Sign.Symbol' will run from 31st January to the 23rd of February,2013.A printed catalogue has been published on the occasion of this exhibition.
      









  STACEY DRAWING AWARENESS ON ASTHMA THROUGH ART WORK                                                             Stacey Ejiroghene a member of AAF,lost her only Sister to Asthma .She is exhibiting her recently work title 'Art for Life' The charity art exhibition and asthma awareness is an exhibition in memory of her  sister, Miss Ogaga Okparavero (Aug 17 1992-Oct 22 2012) who died from an Asthma attack on the 22nd of October, 2012. A percentage of proceeds from art sales will be used to fund the respiratory unit of a local public hospital in Lagos, with Oxygen Canisters and other Drugs, as well as settle bills of patients in that unit who can not afford to fully pay their bills.
 
According to her it embodies the versatility of art styles and embraces the African culture as well as western, varying from one painting to the next. The vibrant colours draw you in and the uniqueness of her work stands out like no other artist. The works embellish high level of skill and creativity. The aim of this project is to provide support for the health and well being of individuals with asthma and linked respiratory conditions.
Which is coming up on the 9 to 17th of Feb,2013.at Watersworth Gallery,3b Unity close off Africa Lane, Lekki Phase 1
5pm.