By Adefoyeke Ajao

Kunle Adegborioye’s “Nostalgia: Glimpses from Diaspora”, an exhibition of his most recent paintings in mixed media, charcoal and acrylic opened at the Omenka Gallery on April 7th, 2018. Each artwork in this collection carries multiple messages, and Adegborioye interweaves texts and images of women, children and familiar artefacts into visual commentaries about the state of modern society.

Although he was born in Nigeria in 1966, Adegborioye currently resides and works in the United Kingdom, where he bagged a master’s degree from the Camberwell College of Arts. Before leaving Nigeria, where he was raised, he received Diplomas in Arts from The Polytechnic, Ibadan and Yaba College of Technology.

In Adegborioye’s Nostalgia, his memories of Nigeria, as well as his impression of the changes the country has undergone since his departure to the United Kingdom, are laid bare. Sentimentality takes a backseat as he recalls both beautiful and ugly memories. Mixed media paintings such as “Survival” and “Love to Replace Thy Holocaust” convey dour themes and images of hunger, hardship, child soldiers and war, but on the other hand more cheery subjects like Nigeria’s cultural and artistic heritage appear in works like “At the Durbar” and “Pomp and Pageantry”.

In an interview with the gallery’s online publication, Omenka Online, Adegborioye explains that Nostalgia is his contribution towards confronting the numerous societal ills that persist in Nigeria. According to the artist, “I have witnessed many dramatic situations in Nigeria […] My feelings are mixed and it’s like a dilemma of a ghost when reflecting on the story of Nigeria. The situation is more about whether I should return home after almost 30 years of stay in the UK or remain within my comfort zone. This informs my decision to title my forthcoming exhibition “Nostalgia”. There are worrying national issues that seriously threaten the unity of Nigeria as an amalgamated geographical entity, and are already resulting in pandemonium and a conundrum in many parts of the country. […] There are a crescendo and cacophony of discontent among the masses. We have all failed as a country and need to be of good intent to get back to where we belong. My small part as an artist is to louden my voice through my canvases and create awareness of the good we can achieve as one nation.”

This exhibition evokes a sense of urgency. Adegborioye has no intention of romanticising Nigeria’s problems, but his captivating images serve as an attractive doorway to the complex rabbit-hole that Nigeria has become.

Nostalgia is at the Omenka Gallery in Ikoyi until 14th April 2018.