Structures of Trade

Fred [London], in collaboration with Tafeta + Partners, is delighted to present the first UK solo exhibition of works by British-Nigerian artist Adeniyi (‘Niyi) Olagunju.

The exhibition will comprise of various wood-based installations, a genre that has always intrigued the artist and one which he has explored since his college days at Ruskin School of Art, Oxford University in 2009. Using discarded wooden-pallets, the sometimes large-scale installations (Project 50, 2010) references global trade and, as a subtext, its effect on his continent of extraction – Africa.

Sometimes combining the wooden pallets with other objects like painted basketballs (and plaster cast of the same basketballs) in carefully staged compositions, the artist alludes to the endless narrative structures of these materials in their re-contextualized forms. The pallets speaking of global trade, import /exports and the attendant trade imbalance common to various sub-Saharan countries vis-à-vis the developed economies. Basketballs on the other hand points to the globalization of culture to the detriment of poorer states and the commoditization of talent and endeavor, with virtually the same effect.

Using recycled pallets, coated in vibrant colors, the individual pieces have something of Mondrian's Compositions about them, albeit in 3D, and the use of vivid colors, when not directly lifted from specific national flags, are attributable to the artist’s West African cultural background - rich in a diverse and vibrant tradition of textile making.
As the artist explains: “My current use of discarded materials and vibrant colors are symbols of my dual African-European identity, the art is an attempt to bring these distinct cultures closer”.

Born in 1981 in Sagamu, Nigeria, Niyi Olagunju now lives and works in Fort Worth, Texas. After an initial fine art degree from a prominent Lagos College, (Yaba Tech), he went on to earn a BA in Fine Art from Oxford University. A major deviation in-between these two relatively straight-forward path to studio practice involved a four year stint as part of the Royal Engineers with the British army, including two operational postings to Basra (Iraq) and Northern Ireland. This phase of his life probably accounts for some of the dedication, skill and discipline required to create such large-scale installation as the amazing 9 x 7.5m, Untitled, 2009, piece recently shown as part of Bonhams' 'Africa Now' exhibition in New York, March 2010.

(Source: Ayo Adeyinka, Co-curator. Tafeta + Partners)

niyi (‘Niyi) Olagunju
Structures of Trade
5 August – 5 September 2010
Fred [London] Ltd
45 Vyner Street
London E2 9DQ
Website: www.fred-london.com