.png)
June Spotlights: Eniwaye Oluwaseyi, Theresa Weber, and Matheus Marques Abu
- THE.CCART
- Jun 9, 2024
- 2 min read
The summer weather is not yet upon us, but this month's spotlights Eniwaye Oluwaseyi, Theresa Weber, and Matheus Marques Abu are certainly shining a light in the art space.
Championing Marginalised Voices Through Art
Eniwaye Oluwaseyi, a Nigerian-born artist from Kogi State, vividly portrays marginalised communities in his powerful paintings. Current social issues, including racial conflicts, injustice, and the tension between traditional norms and modernity influence his work. Oluwaseyi’s art highlights marginalised communities, including Black youths and albinos, often drawing inspiration from movements like End SARS, which protests against police brutality in Nigeria. His paintings, characterised by bold and vibrant colours, challenge conventional notions of identity and representation, encouraging viewers to transcend borders of religion, race, and tradition. Through his work, Oluwaseyi provides a poignant commentary on the lived experiences of marginalised groups, urging us to reflect on the broader societal dynamics at play.
Interrogating Identity Through Multi-Media
Matheus Marques Abu, a self-taught artist from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, delves into themes of ancestry, spirituality, and the African diaspora in his evocative paintings. Influenced by the Rio de Janeiro rap scene and his early work in pixo (graffiti), Abu's art reflects on colonial history and its impact on racialised individuals. Abu's work has evolved to incorporate the rich symbolism of Adinkra ideograms, used by enslaved blacksmiths as a form of resistance and communication. His art intertwines the colonial history and Afro-Atlantic narratives, with the Atlantic Ocean serving as a poignant site of memory. Abu reclaims these historical symbols, creating powerful dialogues between the past, present, and future. His paintings not only highlight the resilience of the African diaspora but also challenge the dominant Eurocentric historical narratives, bringing to light alternative histories that are often overlooked.
Exploring Ancestry and Resilience in Brazilian Art
Theresa Weber, a German-Jamaican-Greek artist based in London, explores the fluid nexus of identity through her dynamic multi-media installations. Influenced by Caribbean postcolonial theorist Édouard Glissant, Weber examines cultural reinvention using motifs from nature and blends sculpture with performance art. Weber's installations reflect on hybrid identities and anti-colonial perspectives, illustrating the constant transformation within every tradition. Her practice creates a space for strength and resilience, engaging with historical and contemporary contexts through nuanced storytelling.
Eniwaye Oluwaseyi, Theresa Weber, and Matheus Marques Abu invite us to embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of human experience, where art becomes a portal to explore identity, memory, and the interconnectedness of our world. This June, let us immerse ourselves in the beauty and depth of their creations, finding inspiration and understanding in their compelling works.
By THE.CCART
