Tola Wewe to exhibit in Paris

Sambisa Blues

TOLA Wewe who will be exhibiting his recent works in Paris, is no doubt a pioneer of his style of painting which he never fails to credit to Ona symbols of the Yoruba culture. This he said remains his main source of inspiration, and his themes dwell on the traditional myths of his native Yoruba culture.
 

Wewe’s style stands him out. You can easily identify his piece at a first glance. The renowned artist who sees himself more as a witness than an author said “communicating with the spirits of the ancestors, and drawing out the invisible spirits, the anjonnu, emere and the ebora, who make the artworks. I am the vehicle, and they are the drivers. We go on these strange journeys to the most remote ends of imaginative experience.”

His works are widely acclaimed and accepted both in Europe and America for their originality, simplicity, surface texture and mastery of colours. His work is a mixture of African and Western sensibilities and images, reflecting his own training and experience as an international artist. His work, bold of classification, silently grows on viewers, blending with their moods, simultaneously taking their minds to strange and familiar colourful places full of false nostalgia.

Due to his unique style, the Galerie Duvivier, Paris, France, will present his works to

the Paris audience and art collectors for twelve days. The exhibition entitled Tola Wewe, will open for public viewing on Tuesday, November 24, and runs until Saturday, December 5, 2015. Wewe revealed that the exhibition will feature twenty three pieces of his recent paintings and terracotta works.

In his paintings, Wewe draws the audience into a personal exploration of his playful and dynamic energy. Executed in a style rich with abstract expressionism and action painting, his works are characterised by spontaneous and confident brush strokes. And inspired by his heritage, the riot of colours, personal symbols and African textile prints all serve to infuse his canvases with vibrancy. His work explores both themes from the perspective of the observer, inviting the audience to position themselves in the stunning scenery.

Warm Greetings from the Yellow Sun

The organisers of his upcoming international exhibition said they are pleased to present Tola Wewe in Paris. “We are showing Wewe for his diversities of styles,” said the exhibition curator, Ms Bose Fagbemi who has curated other international shows. She continued: “As distinct from being an African artist from Nigeria, which is left for the viewers to analyse.”

The gallery which was founded in 1945 is located in the heart of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France.

Wewe is from Ondo State and was born in 1959. He trained and graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Ife, Osun State in 1983. He then went on to obtain a Masters degree in African Visual Arts from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State in 1986. He worked as a cartoonist before becoming a full time studio artist in 1991.

He is also a founding member of Ona movement, which emerged in February 1989. The movement is a group of scholars, critics and practicing artists committed to pursuing artistic excellence through the adaptation and interpretation of traditional materials and methods, forms and styles of contemporary Yoruba art and design.  He has participated in various group shows locally and internationally, as well as many solo exhibitions.