WHAT WITHINLIESUS 18 AUGUST - 25 SEPTEMBER 2022 MADDOX GALLERY, WESTBOURNE GROVE
Maddox Gallery is pleased to present What Lies Within Us, a group exhibition featuring works by Dawn Okoro, Jack Kabangu, Joseph Kodzo Adibleku, Daniel Ametefe Kukubor, Boris Anje, Daniel Onguene, Jil Mandeng, Louise Howard, Isshaq Ismail, and Bradley Theodore.
The way we think about representation revolves around our preconceptions on age, nationality, sex, social status and even geographical boundaries. The notion of identity within the frameworks of our culture has to do as much with the future as it does with the past. What Lies Within Us exists as a visual contemplation of the question which always lingers in conversations on the philosophy of life: ‘Who am I?’. In a society where people from different countries gather and share common cultures, feeling entangled within the clash of internal and external concepts dictating our identity is a common phenomenon. Feelings of displacement, issues of belonging and concerns about the self are the reason for collective anxieties and disassociation with who we think we are supposed to be. In this exhibition, we witness the way these artists express their internal monologue. Does culture inform identity, or do masses of identities constitute cultural trends? From self-portraiture to societal representations, as well as more abstract depictions of culture, What Lies Within Us places us into the intimate investigations of these artists’ self-exploratory journeys. As we observe their diverse approaches to the idea of cultural identities, we think about our perception of others in the present moment. We contemplate their historically concealed lived experiences, their untold stories and their silenced voices. We find what lies within us – feelings of empathy resurface as we employ a renewed, inclusive way of seeing.
18 AUGUST - 25 SEPTEMBER 2022 MADDOX GALLERY, WESTBOURNE GROVE
JACK DANIELLOUISEKABANGUHOWARDJILMANDENGAMETEFE KUKUBOR (AMET) JOSEPH KODZO ADIBLEKU (JOBLEK) ISSHAQ ISMAIL DANIEL ONGUENE DAWN BORISBRADLEYOKOROTHEODOREANJE03020104050607080910
DAWN OKORO
“I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but not how to be an artist” –Dawn Okoro Bold and vibrant, Dawn Okoro’s work explores ideas of identity and selfreflexivity. Channelling her Nigerian heritage and a sense of displacement from her homeland, Okoro’s work utilises colour, movement and texture to highlight the many facets behind the human persona. Painting conceptual portraiture and executed on a block colour background, Okoro’s figures exist in a negative space which helps her to capture the spirit of the subject. Taken from magazines or her own photographs, the artist’s command of composition and colour merge to create engaging imagery with vivid narratives. Influenced by fashion photography as well as punk culture, Okoro continues to experiment with fashion design and videography, in addition to her more typical painted style.
Hydrokinesis, 2022 Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Canvas 152 x 102 cm DAWN OKORO
Unbounded, 2022 Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Canvas 152 x 102 cm DAWN OKORO
Hang On, 2022 Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Canvas 152 x 102 cm DAWN OKORO
DAWN OKORO Roshi, 2018 Acrylic and Metal Spikes on Canvas 183 x 183 cm
Vamps and Riffs, 2022 Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Canvas 91 x 91 cm DAWN OKORO
JACK KABANGU
“My surroundings, experiences and memories, victories and challenges, are the cornerstones of my art. It’s a language with many stories to tell.”
– Jack Kabangu Jack Kabangu was born in 1996 in Zambia with roots from Congo. He has lived in Denmark since 2005, and the two countries’ influences create his cultural identity. Depicting gloomy figures, with elements of facial features, the paintings contain both humour and a pinch of horror. The artist looks for a connection between light and darkness, the intersection between ugliness and beauty. Kabangu expresses that his art is complete only when it has found its final surroundings, which makes his work go beyond the closed language of painting and expands its narrative into a participatory experience for the viewer.
Utilising a finger-painting technique, Kabangu draws inspiration from sources such as classic hip-hop, rap, film and contemporary culture. His paintings are an example of how such a tactile way of artmaking results in impactful work which contains the liveliness of the artist’s movement within its unique aesthetic.
Kiss, 2022 Acrylic, Oil Stick and Oil Pastel on Canvas 200 x 150 cm JACK KABANGU
Untitled, 2022 Acrylic, Oil Stick and Oil Pastel on Canvas 150 x 120 cm JACK KABANGU
“Paintings should not be seen solely as artwork, but also as mirrors that reflect everyday life.” – Joblek Joseph Adibleku, more commonly known as Joblek, is a Ghanian contemporary artist born in 1985. He obtained a Diploma in Painting from Ankel College of Art in 2003, and has since expanded his practice from abstract to figurative. His work has been exhibited at a number of galleries in and outside of Ghana and has been acquired by local and international private collectors. Joblek has a deep emotional connection to the painterly process. To him, art is life. He creates large canvases within a variety of media, including oils, acrylics, watercolours, pastels and ink. As his subject matter, he chooses to depict imagined individuals with over-exaggerated facial features. Focusing on black bodies, his work bears the meanings of his surroundings and his lived experience. Common features of his paintings are enlarged eyes which are situated closer to one another than anatomy would dictate; and amplified, pink lips, which act as a focal point in his work. This work exists as a way for him to experience personal satisfaction and happiness – and for us, the viewers, to construe, dependant on our cultural understandings of his subject matter. In the artist’s own words, art brings the past into the present. It recalls history, but it’s reality.
JOSEPH KODZO ADIBLEKU (JOBLEK)
Contemplating, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas 140 x 140 cm JOSEPH KODZO ADIBLEKU (JOBLEK)
Pink Lady, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas 165 x 147 cm JOSEPH KODZO ADIBLEKU (JOBLEK)
The Look on Her Face, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas 163 x 147 cm JOSEPH KODZO ADIBLEKU (JOBLEK)
Focused on the underpainting, he creates a multi-layered depiction of people who are engaged in the things of everyday life. Sitting crosslegged, standing, or posing – his colourful scenes connect with us through a feeling of familiarity and calmness.
Daniel Ametefe Kukubor is a Ghanian portrait painter. He obtained his degree from the Ghanatta College of Art and Design in 2007. In his practice, he employs elements of abstraction into his figurative works.
Kukubor’s participation in What Lies Within Us is emblematic of his fastprogressing career as an artist.
DANIEL AMETEFE KUKUBOR (AMET)
In his process, Kukubor finds himself informed by both found images and getting people to pose for him. Representing a certain lifestyle, he paints his figures with a carefully curated tonality in his colour scheme. He does not use a brush – instead, he employs a squeegee and a palette knife, as he expresses ‘there is a different feel to them’.
Stephania Erecta, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas 183 x 152 cm DANIEL AMETEFE KUKUBOR (AMET)
Yellow Habiscus, 2022 Acrylic on Canvas 183 x 152 cm DANIEL AMETEFE KUKUBOR (AMET)
BORIS
Utilising African symbolism, Anje’s Neo-Pop paintings are full of dynamism. The depiction of the stylish men and women is aesthetically pleasing; but the message of the work is heavier than meets the eye. Anje’s work participates in a larger conversation on the issue of a global consumer culture, and, in his own words, beautifies black bodies.
“I want to give value to the black body, I’m trying to give some kind of attention, some kind of attraction, to the person of colour.” – Boris Anje
Boris Anje, also known as Anjel, was born in Bamenda, Cameroon, in 1993. The artist now lives and works in Douala, Cameroon. He completed his master’s degree in drawing and painting at Foumban Institute of Fine Arts, Cameroon, in 2018. In 2016, Anje was the artist-in-residence at the Les Ateliers Bahm in Brazzaville, Congo. Whilst working there, he found himself being fascinated with the city’s dandies, full of colour and vibrancy. This would later become the source of his subject matter and would underpin the stylistic decisions in his paintings.
Anje’s working style, involving bold colours and a mixture of techniques, is influenced by the Pop-art pioneer Andy Warhol, especially in his use of silkscreen printing. Acrylics and wax transfer are other media the artist employs, giving his work a hypnotising depth. In the culture he paints, clothes are more than a necessity – they are packed with meaning, they are active ingredients of the wearer’s persona, by camouflaging them and elevating them in society at the same time. Anje’s subjects are not shy –they are proud of the way they look, and that confidence emanates from his paintings. ANJE
Gods Supremacy I, 2021 Acrylic, Wax Transfer and Silk Screen Print on Canvas 160 x 130 cm BORIS ANJE
DANIEL ONGUENE
The painter communicates his empathy for these people, dignifying them by portraying them in his work. Despite the difficulties his subjects experience, in his paintings they are in focus – and we look at them, making a mental note to ourselves that disparities in society still exist and fixing them starts with the act of noticing the unnoticed. Onguene has a history of exhibiting his work at shows and art fairs in Cameroon, France and the UK. His involvement with What Lies Within Us marks a significant milestone in his artistic career.
Daniel Onguene was born in 1995 in Baffousam, Cameroon. The painter now lives and works in Douala, Cameroon. Onguene holds a master’s degree in visual arts and art history, with an emphasis on painting, obtained from the Institute of Fine Arts of the University of Douala in Nkongsamba.
Primarily using acrylics, he depicts figures in motion, ‘the heroes’ of the everyday, doing odd jobs to sustain themselves and their families –selling shoes, newspapers, carrots, clothing. His paintings show a lifestyle which we know exists, but often overlook. Onguene paints the people on the street we pass by without paying much attention to their struggles, as our own privilege hinders our ability to empathise. His multi-layered, colourful canvases represent active scenes of a contemporary Africa, of the reality in Cameroon.
Beautiful as the Makossa Banana, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 168 x 200 cm DANIEL ONGUENE
Jil Mandeng is a figurative artist born in Santiago, Chile in 1991. She obtained her master’s of fine art at the Slade School of Fine Art in 2022 and exhibited at the School’s annual graduate show, as well as in a few earlier shows in Berlin. Throughout her life, she moved countries every two years. Having grown up in London, she has lived in Washington DC, Dominican Republic, Toronto, Hong Kong and France. The exposure to different cultures has informed Mandeng’s practice, as she grapples with the idea of who she is and where she truly belongs.
The artist states that the main source of inspiration for her work is rooted in her background and in the cultural content of her upbringing, as well as in fashion and in items of clothing which bear sentimental value to her. With her father being half-Cameroonian and half-Polish, and her mother German, she draws meanings from the amalgamation of contrasting cultures, which is seen in her portraits. A split depiction of two different people, Mandeng collages facial features as she uses old family photos for reference. Using oils and acrylics on canvas, she translates her inner sense of having an identity crisis, into the visual.
Can we adopt a multitude of identities within ourselves? The work of Mandeng reassures us that we can. We can carry aspects of different mentalities and the way that constitutes who we are is a beautiful unity of a lived experience.
JIL MANDENG
“I want to make work that hasn’t existed before, work that can send a message that needs sending.” – Jil Mandeng
“Divided We Fall”, 2022 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 100 x 80 cm JIL MANDENG
Herkunft III, 2022 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 100 x 80 cm JIL MANDENG
Herkunft II, 2022 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 100 x 80 cm JIL MANDENG
Herkunft I, 2022 Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 100 x 80 cm JIL MANDENG
“Fine art has always been the constant for me, but I like to include elements of abstract into my paintings to add an edge to them — the goal is to marry the two styles effortlessly.” – Louise Howard
Louise Howard is a British painter whose background in artistic practice can be traced back to the age of 16. Her mother introduced her to oil paints at that moment, and the artist spent some time experimenting with other media, such as pottery and jewellery, before returning to Inpainting.thepresent series of work by Howard, we see an exploration of the female body through two separate, but interlinked lenses – that of realism, and that of abstractionism. Focusing on the faces of her subjects, she paints them in a photorealistic way, which is then juxtaposed with textured brushstrokes, creating the ambiance of the painting. Both orderly and chaotic, both beautiful and rough – her work depicts the female form, free of conventional understandings of beauty.
There is a certain type of poetry to be observed in Howard’s work. With recognisable influences from Lucian Freud, her subjects’ faces appear in a pensive mood, almost in a state of melancholia. Yet, the bodies in her paintings are arranged in a curl, or in some sort of action – smoking, sitting, with gazes that hold in themselves the wide range of emotions a human is subject to. The artist has exhibited in group shows in Australia, the US and the UK.
LOUISE HOWARD
Polyester, 2022 Oil on Panel 122 x 106 cm LOUISE HOWARD
Dirty Laundry, 2022 Oil and Mixed Media on Panel 140 x 122 cm LOUISE HOWARD
Jacaran, 2022 Oil on Panel 122 x 106 cm LOUISE HOWARD
Small Beasts, 2022 Oil and Mixed Media on Panel 140 x 122 cm LOUISE HOWARD
ISSHAQ ISMAIL
There is a clear and definite style within Ismail’s paintings. By delivering his subjects through a Picasso-like manner, blocks of colour and grotesque figures are his way of storytelling. He explores themes such as desire, resilience, power, joy and hope. The simplicity of his canvases provides us with enough quiet space to contemplate and infer meanings into the work, and relate to it through our own cultural lens.
It is work which is honest, and true to the artist’s own identity.
“The images I create become metaphors of people’s sentiments and also serve as protagonists to represent the masses and advocate for the voiceless. Not trash, but people. Not remnants, but lives - look closer and they will tell you their stories.”
– Isshaq Ismail
Challenging our perception of aesthetics, this artist employs an honest and brave approach in the way he renders his subjects. Through thick gestures of the brush, which is loaded with acrylic paint, he portrays the human form through the prism of Cubism, coupled with a contemporary take on abstraction. The artist describes his figures as ‘infantile semi-abstraction’.
Isshaq Ismail is a contemporary artist based in Accra, Ghana, where he was born in 1989. He obtained his Certificate in Painting from the Ghanatta College of Art and Design, Accra, Ghana, in 2021, and has since exhibited his work in Ghana, South Africa, Netherlands, USA, Germany, UK, and Dubai. Ismail has also been shortlisted in a number of art prizes and has undertaken a residency in Accra, Ghana.
Self 29, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 152 x 127 cm ISSHAQ ISMAIL
Head 18, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 152 x 127 cm ISSHAQ ISMAIL
Turks and Caicos born American painter and street artist, Bradley Theodore, is known for his vibrant Día de los Muertos style murals and canvases depicting celebrity icons like Anna Wintour and Frida Kahlo. His signature motif of the skull both immortalizes these influential cultural figures, as well as symbolizes the true spirit of his subjects. As a self-taught artist, Theodore’s influences are authentic and wide-ranging, from pop culture and the traditional art historical canon to the colourful, dynamic scene of graffiti and street art. Working across various media from prints and paintings to large-scale murals, Theodore’s practice engages with prominent themes within contemporary pop and visual culture as well as art history, exploring what it truly means to be human.
BRADLEY THEODORE
BRADLEY THEODORE Skull I, 2018 Oil on Canvas 102 x 76 cm
Skull IV, 2018 Oil on Canvas 102 x 76 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
Skull III, 2018 Oil on Canvas 102 x 76 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
The Poker Players, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 122 x 152 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
Coco in Flowers, 2016 Acrylic on Canvas 122 x 102 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
The Duchess, 2021 Oil on Canvas 122 x 91 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
We Love The King, 2021 Acrylic on Canvas 122 x 91 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
Eternal Queen, 2022 Etching and Six Layers of Relief Printing 84 x 80 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
Skull Close Up, 2018 Oil on Canvas 102 x 76 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
At The Gates, 2021 Oil on Canvas 122 x 91 cm BRADLEY THEODORE
