After a flamboyant inauguration, Chicago’s Omenai Gallery continues its vibrant commitment to contemporary African art with a captivating new exhibition. Until October 11, the art space presents “Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra”, a bold group show featuring the talents of Cornelius Annor, Nana Bruce, Olamide Ogunade and Orry Shenjobi. Through rich and varied artistic approaches, these contemporary artists strive to communicate their intimate visions of home with warmth and passion.
“Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra” is rooted in the very essence of belonging, exhibiting works that convey the multitude of feelings that the idea of home evokes. Keen observers of their surroundings, each of the artists infuses their creations with a deep sense of connection to their place of origin. Upon entering the Omenai gallery, visitors are welcomed into a warm and friendly atmosphere, where the works vibrate with expressiveness and hospitality.
Each of the participants, guided by a range of emotions and experiences, weaves their narratives around this emotional thread, offering striking depth and dazzling singularity to their representations. More than an artistic journey, this exhibition is a true celebration of the identities and stories that make up Africa’s rich cultural landscape.
In “Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra”, Nigerian artists Olamide Ogunade and Orry Shenjobi explore the themes of nostalgia and memory at the heart of their artistic practice. Orry Shenjobi, with his Hawking Heroes series, highlights his subjects through a marked use of textured negative space, while Olamide Ogunade focuses on capturing the fleeting moments of human existence through his bold manipulation of charcoal and acrylic.
91cm x 121cm Signed and dated
For Olamide Ogunade, the home is a space for contemplation and a symbol of hope. Born in 1996 in Ogun State, Nigeria, he honed his talent studying fine art at the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos. His career has been marked by numerous national and international group exhibitions. By blending vibrant, warm colors with printed motifs, Olamide Ogunade succeeds in conveying an identity deeply rooted in West African culture. Through his canvas, he opens dialogues on individualism, beauty and race.
In his work Nostalgia Rhythm (2024), he invites the viewer to plunge into the immobility of the subject. Captivated by a harmonious color palette evocative of domestic space, the eye is drawn to the presence of familiar fabrics and objects, as well as to the subject’s reflective pose. This work encourages us to consider the complexity of the emotions that inhabit this space, offering an intimate reflection on what it really means to call a place “home”.
84cm x 118cm Signed and dated
In her Hawking Heroes series, Orry Shenjobi pays vibrant homage to the women who, in the hustle and bustle of Lagos traffic, make their living from hawking. Her creations draw on childhood memories of the great Nigerian metropolis, transforming the materiality of her art into a celebration of community and culture. Through her work, she sheds light on the everyday while encouraging a transfer of reflections, thoughts and feelings around these often invisible figures. Multidisciplinary artist and artistic director of ORRY Studio, Orry Shenjobi transcends the boundaries of conventional artistic expression.
Using a varied palette of materials and techniques, she takes viewers on an immersive journey through the subtleties of individual identity. The exhibition “Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra” offers a glimpse into her work, capturing everyday moments in diverse communities. From the lived experiences of individuals on the African continent to the nostalgic memories of those in the diaspora, everything is brought to life in Orry Shenjobi’s work, awakening a dialogue between the two realities.
137cm x 105cm Signed and dated
Cornelius Annor and Nana Bruce, meanwhile, venture into the exploration of contemporary ideas around love. Hailing from Accra, Ghana, these two artists depict a romantic yet playful mood with refined aesthetics and emotional depth. Nana Bruce chooses to depict her characters in settings that evoke the intimacy of the home. Drawing on his observations of the beginnings of love, he draws on his experiences, both online and offline, to capture the dynamics of contemporary Ghanaian society. Immersed in the hustle and bustle of markets, public transport and social networks, he discovers the contemporary and cosmopolitan trends of his native country.
Today, Nana Bruce transforms these interactions into a philosophy that informs his scenes, which he describes as contemporary impressionism. In “Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra”, he unveils works that contrast with his signature dense application of acrylic on canvas. Lit by a soft, intimate light, recalling the tenderness of shared moments, his subjects suggest that the true essence of home lies in the individual.
In a harmonious dance between introspection and celebration, Cornelius Annor, renowned for his vibrant family scenes, explores love as a natural choreography of life. Borrowing inspiration from artistic giants such as Samuel Fosso, Malick Sidibé and Yinka Shonibare, all emblematic of the 20th century, Cornelius Annor skilfully weaves a temporal tapestry within his compositions. Each work is a journey through history, where objects and garments from different horizons come together to tell a unique story.
The exhibition “Visions of Home: Lagos to Accra” reveals the creative versatility of the Ghanaian artist. Through a combination of vibrant traditional textiles and depictions of Afro uniforms and hairstyles, he tackles cultural roots while highlighting the richness of craftsmanship. His iconic piece Ma wo nsa so di asa (Raise Your Leg and Dance) (2023) finely illuminates the importance of regional visual symbols, awakening a sense of familiarity and connection within the community.
Through their works, Olamide Ogunade, Orry Shenjobi, Nana Bruce and Cornelius Annor, all four anchored in two of West Africa’s most vibrant art capitals, paint a multifaceted portrait of the home, blending personal narratives with interrogations of public space. Their immersive vision invites the viewer to reflect on the very nature of the home.
Omenai Gallery, in its prestigious space, offers a unique opportunity to plunge into this artistic universe. On October 5, from 2 to 4 pm (CST), visitors are invited to an exclusive discussion with one of the exhibiting artists, Orry Shenjobi. The event is part of Chicago Exhibition Weekend, which runs from October 3 to 6, marking the first time the fledgling gallery has participated in the city’s effervescent artistic celebration.
