Every artist subjects him/herself to influences from existing norms, and subsequently, strives to create an identifiable personal signature. Such a signature redefines the artist: it is authentic, it is true to the artist, and represents a seamless amalgamation of technique, style and theme. It is in the light of this that the artist-Sobayo Abolore dedicated endless passionate hours in order to create a world of beauty and reasoning.
Room for Three is a tale of three decades of expedition, driven by passion, creativity and active participation in three different professions – Art, Fashion and Politics. The artist’s cultural connection to his roots was emphasized in his works by his use of one of the oldest forms of fabric – adire, whose origin can be traced to the south western part of Nigeria, an area which he hails from.
The artist’s paintings reposition the adire fabric, showcasing a different way it could be used asides wearables. This fabric serves as the background of most of his paintings. Some of his paintings also delve into our history and heritage, serving as archival materials for the future.
As a fashion trend setter,Abolore has successfully recreated some of the old styles of the Yoruba outfit into modern day wears, using adire fabric, blend of linen and unique African motives to propagate his stunning designs.
A man of many shades,he tries to use art in educating people about “the bottom up” approach to rebuilding our nation, by trying to explain the role of the government at the grass-root level, an area members of the community seem to be ignorant about. Here, his experiences as a Councilor come to play.
Putting all these together to create his first solo show, the exhibition seeks to throw some light on the under utilization of this fabric, as it can serve as a source of job creation, improve export and revenue generation.
“Room For Three” will hold at Red Door Gallery,51b Bishop Oluwole Street,Victoria Island,Lagos on Saturday 14th,November 2015 2PM Prompt.
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