Art Twenty-One presents Future, Past, a solo exhibition of the body of work by London-based Nigerian fine artist Tejumola Adenuga. The exhibition opened on the 19th of April 19 2024 and will run until the 14th of June 2024, in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria. Adenuga is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose practice focuses on the intentional removal of informational excess from found photography through a subtle, minimalistic approach. His recent works fixate on the significance and celebration of black faces and bodies, attending to the absence of black representation in the western historical narrative.
Adenuga’s portraits are distinguished by his use of the colours black and white as well as the focus on contours rather than shades. A member of the Yoruba tribe, which in ancient times perfected the crafts of woodcarving, sculpture, metal work, textiles and beadwork, Adenuga’s vision was born during a new golden age of the Nigerian influence which has spread worldwide in the fields of sports, fashion, film and music, particularly Afrobeats, which emanated from Nigeria, Ghana and the U.K. in the 2000s and 2010s.
He began exploring furniture design during lockdown. With this, the idea was embracing his Yoruba Nigerian crafting and creating traditions. This stems from growing up on a street where everyone was an artisan to the extent everything was made by hand. Soon after venturing into the world of furniture and lighting, he’s began an architectural career.
Designs for the Future, Past exhibition include a desk shaped like an artist’s palette and an indestructible chair. Adenuga also experimented with lamps that mimic the organic, weathered appearance of rock formations found across Nigeria. These lamps are created by him in his atelier throughout the week, and can be bought exclusively from him there. In his craftsmanship, the artist represents a harmonious blend of skill, passion, and dedication which all show his value for quality. Adenuga’s works are complemented by a layer of narrative that evokes the dignity of Nigeria’s royal dynasty in the past, which ruled over its mineral-rich areas for generations.
