The Omenai brand, a natively social media and digital editorial platform, launched in 2021 and now three years later Omenai presents the launch of Omenai Gallery. The digital-physical expansion follows a wave of interest from artists, collectors and art enthusiast who since 2021 have lauded the brand for democratising access to the contemporary African art market, both on the African continent and throughout its diaspora.
Omenai Gallery will launch its series of exhibitions at 1716 W Grand Avenue in Chicago West Town. The gallery inaugurates its hybrid, digital-physical model with a presentation of ‘In-Between Ashes’, the debut exhibition of Ghanaian artist Kwaku Owusu Achim’s works. In celebration of the launch, the gallery will commence its programming by hosting an opening reception for the exhibition, which opens to the public on the 19th of July and will be running until the 23rd of August 2024.
‘In-Between Ashes’ alludes to the African culture of being in community with people with shared interests. In this new body of work, Achim looks at the urgency of both individuality and community, in relation to the themes of identity and human connection. The paintings are a surrealist juxtaposition of the mind and body. In a classic surrealist manner, the artist explores the boundaries of human empathy by visually representing modes of verbal and non-verbal communication.
