Oluwatosin Ajibade-better known by the stage name Mr Eazi – launches his latest album ‘The Evil Genius’, an international exhibition at Gallery 1957 in Accra, Ghana featuring expressive works from young visual artists across Africa who have produced artworks in response to music from his forthcoming album.
Kicking off the Accra Cultural Week, Mr Eazi opens a music and art exhibition experience that was based on his most recent album, The Evil Genius. The art enthusiast collaborated with Gallery 1957 to organize this exhibition, which celebrated love, freedom, happiness, and the themes from his record.
The exhibition features 16 pieces from 12 artists selected by Mr Eazi, representing eight African countries, including Dominique Zinkpè (Cotonou, Benin), Patricorel (Cotonou, Benin), Tesprit (Lomé, Togo), and Samuel Tete-Katchan (Accra, Ghana), who were present at the event. Other artists included are Tammy Sinclair (Abuja, Nigeria), Alpha ODH (Nairobi, Kenya), Chinaza Nkemka (Lagos, Nigeria), Edozie Anedu (Lagos, Nigeria), Elangwe Sesse (Cameroon), Ikechukwu Christian (Lagos, Nigeria), Kufa Makwavarara (Zimbabwe/South Africa), and Sandra Seghir (Dakar, Senegal).
Angelica Litta Modignani, gallery manager, expressed her excitement at hosting the exhibition at Gallery 1957. “We are thrilled to exhibit his powerful and thought-provoking collection to our audiences,” she said.
Image courtesy of Mr Eazi.
Following its inaugural presentation in Accra, the exhibition will travel to London as part of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair’s Special Projects from October 12-15, 2023 at Somerset House.
Selecting visual collaborators was informal and instinctual for him, much like with his musical ones. “I just liked their art and reached out to them,” he notes. “We’d send them the song, they’d listen, and we’d have a call and talk about what everything means. I said, ‘I’m going to give them the freedom to go create.”
In a recent post on twitter, the musician expressed his sincere gratitude, “I am overwhelmed at the amount of support I received last night at my 1st ever Exhibition for my forthcoming album “The Evil Genius” big to all the artists that collaborated with me, my team, Glenfiddich Gh, and everyone present.”
Mr Eazi worked on this project for over two years and sees it as an opportunity to share his vision with the world and spark important conversations about Contemporary African Art.
The exhibition opened to the public on September 13, 2023, with a host of invited guests, including Azu Nwagbogu, Kwame Eric Goka, Phil Philips (Barbados High Commission), Daniel Osafo, Ameyaw Debrah, Gabby Otchere-Darko and many others in attendance.
About Gallery 1957
Gallery 1957 is a contemporary art gallery with spaces across Accra, Ghana and London, UK.
It dedicates its programme to spearheading international exchanges between art practices from these communities and the rest of the world, presenting artists who interrogate concepts of belonging and identity, cultural exchange, and social history beyond Western narratives. Gallery 1957 presents exhibitions, installations, and performances by celebrated artists, fostering connections between local and international audiences. The Gallery’s global gallery partnerships and ongoing artist residency program have attracted numerous international artists and arts professionals to Ghana. The Gallery’s annual Cultural Week in September serves as a platform for encouraging deeper engagement with Ghana’s vibrant contemporary art scene.
