African Artists Foundation Presents
Shout Plenty
Our histories never unfold in isolation. We cannot truly tell what we consider to be our own histories without knowing the other stories. And often we discover that those other stories are actually our own stories. – Angela Davis
Shout Plenty assembles the polyrhythmic voices of a diverse, yet interlaced, continent and its diaspora. Shout Plenty gathers 31 artists from Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, USA and Zimbabwe. This visual symposium takes its name from Fela Kuti’s 1986 LP “I Go Shout Plenty”. First recorded in 1977 in Nigeria, this Afrobeat composition challenged rampant greed and corruption taking hold in the wake of independence. Through musical expression, Kuti laid bare the ambitions of his generation and their urgent desire for liberation. In this way, artistic expression ignites abstract ideas without deafening rhetoric or over-simplification. Whilst Kuti’s oeuvre can be viewed through the lens of politics, it is the means by which he tells his story that keeps the audience engaged. Shout Plenty approaches artistic invention as a framework to problem- solve and imagine unlimited futures.
This exhibition centres on limitless forms of artmaking acting as a transmitter for social change. In bell hook’s 1995 collection of essays titled Art on the Mind she writes, “To transgress I must move past boundaries, I must push against to go forward. Nothing changes in the world if no one is willing to make this movement.” Artists practice the ultimate transgression where “visionary insights can be revealed within the context of the everyday, the familiar, the mundane.” The artworks presented capture contemporary visual culture articulated through fashion, media, sound, and music. This includes, but is not limited to, painterly expression, photography, textile work, assemblage and relief sculpture. Shout Plenty gives voice to the interior lives of a diverse school of artists and by extension their communities. Dialogue between individual experience and collective memory is uncovered. Examining memory and reflections produces a unique understanding of socio- political experiences. Storytelling unites these artists and is beneficial in bridging cultural and ideological divides. In this way, artistic practice allows for play and human conception to wander outside the confines of perceived reality. The curators have assembled artists working across mediums and deliver their intended message with varying degrees of representation and abstraction. Imaginative practice as a site of freedom reveals that a murmur that slowly spreads can, too, be a powerful means of protest.
Hyper-stylization of form and figures is at the core of many of these artists’ practices. Extreme saturation and accentuated forms feature in the photography of Sarfo Emmanuel Annor and Audrey d’Erneville’s magazine-cover-like paintings. This vibrancy creates a world that mirrors our own but is not bound by representational colouration. Ayogu Kingsley’s hyper-realistic portraits of imagined historical scenarios transform memory into living, malleable history. Distortion and multiple realities exist in the works of Precious Opara. This co-existence moves past the restrictions of space and time, offering a glimpse into existence beyond our material plane.
Abstract concepts and quiet revolution are seen in the sculptural compositions of Adaeze Okar0 photographs. They communicate the beauty of serenity in unexpected spaces. Similarly, Isshaq Ismail’s abstracted paintings of simplified and distorted figures uncover deep human emotion. These obfuscated forms tap into the inner human psyche to reveal the anxieties and joy of the audience. Found materials are evident in the works of Dodji Efoui and Matt Kayem. Efoui’s figures, made from scrap metal, simultaneously contort and dance, revealing raw emotion using the human form as a means of expression. Kayem uses recycled denim as a canvas for his scenes of modern rituals that expose the schism between privileged and everyday Ugandans. Assemblage and collaging help artists communicate their cultural identity and incorporate broader visual narratives.
Music and fashion influences are omnipresent in the works of contemporary visual artists. Sartorial splendour and how we present ourselves are inextricably linked to our identities and sense of belonging. This is made visible in Cinthia Sifa Mulanga tableaus which reference contemporary design and fashion, thus highlighting the importance of agency in visual representation. Sandra Seghir’s painted triptych honours the legacy of Fela Kuti and the Pan-African ideas revealed through his art and political activism. Seghir’s panels harmoniously blend together like a melody thus emulating sonic rhythms. Through references and engaging history, artists place themselves at the centre of culture and forge connections between the past and present.
Symbology is seen in the work of Pierre Segoh, John Madu and Jean David Nkot. Nkot uses recognisable symbols to create new layered meanings. Through the language of cartography, he examines the links between the colonial past and contemporary life. Similarly, Lindokuhle Khumalo’s saccharine green figures, while tethered to the human world through figuration, employ symbols to express what is happening beyond the picture plane. Chisom “Chi Fada” Ikeorah highlights the fallacy of Western religious superiority through his story-rich paintings. Visual clues are disseminated throughout his paintings to help the audience question the motivations of the West in African affairs.
The human impact on the environment is explored through materiality and conceptual expression. Rapidly changing climates and unethical sourcing of raw minerals have historically disproportionately affected marginalised communities. Patrick Bongoy, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, uses recycled rubber innertubes to create his three- dimensional tapestries. This material is a nod to the Congo’s well-documented rubber trade and the long-lasting impact of Western Imperialism. Similarly in Dan Halter’s Footsack Empire 3, plastic bags form the Union Jack thus drawing an immediate correlation between colonisation, globalisation and industry.
Distilling these artistic interventions expands our views on who we are and where we might be headed. Imagination is the lifeblood of mass social movements. These artists are changemakers using their practices to amplify the discourse around social justice and fairness. Shout Plenty expounds on how art can function as a powerful and revolutionary force to overhaul institutionalised systems of domination.
Installation Images
Exhibiting Artists:
Blackson Afonso (Portugal)
Sarfo Emmanuel Annor (Ghana)
Samson Bakare (Nigeria)
Patrick Bongoy (Congo/South Africa)
Nkemka Chinaza (Nigeria)
Audrey D’Erneville (Senegal/USA)
Olatoye David (Nigeria)
Dodji Efoui (Togo)
Matthew Eguavoen (Nigeria)
Emebiriodo Ugochukwu (Nigeria)
Wasiu Eshinlokun (Nigeria)
Dan Halter (Zimbabwe)
Chisom Ikeorah “Chi Fada” (Nigeria)
Isshaq Ismail (Ghana)
Matt Kayem (Uganda)
Lindokuhle Khumalo (South Africa)
Ayogu Kingsley (Nigeria)
Zemba Luzamba (Congo/South Africa)
John Madu (Nigeria)
Cinthia Sifa Mulanga (Congo/South Africa)
Jean David Nkot (Cameroon)
Johnson Ocheja (Nigeria)
Emma Odumade (Nigeria)
Adaeze Okaro (Nigeria)
Precious Opara (Nigeria)
Esther Onwukamuche (Nigeria)
Sandra Seghir (Senegal)
Pierre Segoh (Togo)
Kenechukwu Victor (Nigeria)
Adesola Yusuf (Nigeria)
Curated by Princess Ayoola
Curatorial Advisory by Azu Nwagbogu
