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Artist Feature: DENNIS OSADEBE
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Dennis Osadebe (born in 1991) is a Nigerian mixed-media artist best known for his contemporary, vibrant postpop style. Osadebe’s style is a unique blend of digital processes, which he uses to create canvasses that are subsequently layered with acrylic paint. With his characteristic use of flattened planes and bold colour, the artist creates what he refers to as a “neo” visual style, one that is “modern, bright, expressive and provocative”.
This exhibition draws a lot of inspiration from art history and questions its authenticity. It does this by playfully posing the question, is art history accurate if parts of it have been neglected and purposefully removed?
The aim of this exhibition is not to change history but to make an attempt in amending it by presenting a new perspective that allows for inclusivity, in essence to complete the picture and restore lost history. The works in this exhibition weave together different elements, features and compositions throughout the
history of art, moving seamlessly between antiquity, modernity and popular culture. Such are works like American Gothic, one of the most familiar images in 20th century American Art.
This exhibition moves through time into themes such as equestrian portraiture, which has played a pivotal role in the politics of art from ancient Greece and Rome. It guides the viewer to icons we recognise from popular culture such as a Superman. In the exhibition he uses a mixture of historical trends and incorporates his unique voice and heritage into it. Additionally, he puts the arts and culture from Nigeria in dialogue with these works and amplifies them by making them the centre of the narrative. I Like History, But I Love Fiction is a satirical interpretation of art which is playful & provocative. – Dennis Osadebe.
I Like History, But I Love Fiction will launch at the Christopher Moller Gallery in Cape Town from 31 January 2020 - 13 March 2020.
