Sesse Elangwe’s second US solo show: Life’s Blueprint

Bwo Art is thrilled to announce Life’s Blueprint, the second solo show of artist Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli opening today January 25th in Houston at Mitochondria Gallery. 

“Addressing issues of sustainability, self-assurance, and resilience, Cameroonian artist Sesse Elangwe’s second solo exhibition , Life’s Blueprint explores methods of success and fulfillment as well as comprehensive ideologies for effective integrations into American culture. Inspired by the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr.’s, a blueprint acts as the construction and framework to one’s life and moral justification.” writes Kendra Walker in the exhibition essay.
 

Sesse Elangwe, Rise In Gloom (2023), acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Mitochondria Gallery

The art writer adds that “using vibrant hues in single compositions, such as brilliant reds and deep blues, these paintings achieve a depth of emotion and vitality. The color blue appears repeatedly throughout the body of work, echoing the concept of a blueprint. The persistent use of blue creates an implied feeling of optimism and creates space for hope and transformation. The individuals’ black skin tones aid in series continuity and provide a layer of dimension defined by the body’s limits. Overall, a systematic style that merges surrealism, figuration, and a distinct color palette captivates the spectator for extended periods of time.” Read Kendra Walker’s full essay in Life’s Blueprint exhibition essay. 

Sesse Elangwe, On The Way To Washington DC  (2023), acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bwo Art.

Life’s Blueprint will be on view throughout Black History Month and close on February 25th.

New Representation: Stephen Price

We are also pleased to announce the management of Birmingham based Italian-Ghanaian artist Stephen Price. Born in Palermo (Italy) in 1995, Price moved to  the United Kingdom with his family in 2014 where he obtained a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Northampton. Drawing inspiration from the notion of temporality, Price’s paintings offer a poetic encounter and marriage between abstraction and figuration.

Stephen Price, Solitude (2022), Acrylic, charcoal and soft pastels on canvas. Courtesy of the artist and Bwo Art.

Using a mixed media technique consisting of charcoal, pastels and acrylic on canvas, Price paints intimate and psychological-like narratives on his canvas. His visual language pushes beyond pure replication of the photographic images and deviates from physical images by combining his imagination and memories. By applying the skin with the depth of charcoal and thick expressive brushstrokes of acrylic, he creates a physicality of texture that is both rough and soft. One of his collectors described his work as “hauntingly beautiful”. 

Stephen Price’s work has been exhibited in the framework of two group exhibitions at the Chilli Art Projects in London, and he was recently featured in the group exhibition “In Situ: Encounters of Place” (2022) at  Kó Art Space in Lagos. We are particularly excited to add Stephen Price to the  meticulously curated list of emerging artists we represent as he has been on our radar  since his first solo exhibition “Luminous Portraits” with Gallery At Home (Usk, Wales) in 2021.

Stephen Price, The teal grass (2022), acrylic, charcoal and soft pastels on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.

Stephen Price’s work has integrated the collections of notable collectors in the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Malaysia, France, Belgium and Nigeria. 

For sales inquiries, please contact:
brice@bwoart.com

Dakar: At the crossroads of art, fashion and craftsmanship.

Last year from August 30th to September 30th, artist Emanuel Tegene was in residency at Studio Quatorzerohuit in Dakar, Senegal. Within this space offered by Studio Quatorzerohuit, Tegene created 15 paintings which are currently exhibited in his solo show titled Horny Bird which opened on December 8th 2022 during Parcours Dakar, and is on view until January 31st, 2023.

Emanuel Tegene (right) and Princess Caroline of Monaco at the preview of his solo show Horny Bird in Dakar, Senegal. 

As Studio Quatorzerohuit advocates for a strong alliance between crafts, design and contemporary art, which they consider ‘disciplines with intimate relations and joint perspectives’, Emanuel’s solo show is presented alongside “Bubu + Bibi” a collaborative work by Lagos-based fashion designer Bubu Ogisi, and Senegalese designer Bibi Seck. 

Over the past years, Bwo Art has observed a strengthening bond between the worlds of design, crafts and contemporary African art as Dakar is slowly but steadily becoming a regional reference in this new trans-sectoral relationship. After organizing its first ever Métiers d’Art collection runway in Africa last December 2022 in Dakar at the Palais de Justice, the official site of the Dakar Biennial, Chanel recently announced the opening of 19M Gallery: a new creative center dedicated to crafts and contemporary creation in the heart of the Senegalese capital. 19M Dakar kicked off its activities with a group show “Sur Le Fil” featuring the work of 4 African craftsmen and contemporary artists whose practices incorporate the use of threads and embroidery. 

Photo credits: Vogue Magazine

Merging contemporary creation with craftsmanship and ancestral practices is an ambitious move but also a new challenge that several galleries seem to be embarking on. Alluding to the fact that contemporary art intersects with other disciplines is not only a renewal of the thought, but also a new way of recognizing the diversity of creators whilst paving the way for new creative patterns, segments, programmes and ideas on the market.