Ludovic Fadairo, a Beninese art master, is storming the Nigerian art/entertainment scene with his first ever show in the country.
The 75 years old Beninese, with over four decades of illustrious career in the arts, will be unveiling his solo and first exhibition in Nigeria titled ‘What We Don’t See’.
The master painter, with roots in Ife, Osun State, will be presenting over 20 works across different media that showcase the artist’s unflagging vitality over the years and his continued interest in the interplay between the creative and the spiritual.
The show runs from March 4 – April 2, 2023 at Soto Gallery, located at #10 Omo Osagie Street, South West, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The exhibition; a first major survey of Fadairo’s work in Nigeria and English-speaking West Africa, takes a close and comprehensive look at the illustrious career of the Beninese master, who is equally, a well-known and respected figure within artistic and intellectual circles in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
Speaking on the title of the exhibition, ‘What We Don’t See’, he explained that he is a great believer in spirituality and African heritage; hence his works are spiritually inclined.
“We hardly see God because of our different ways of perceiving Him. So, I try to bring what I see that others don’t see in my images.
“You can get 1,000 meanings in an image and that is what I do with my paintings,” he said.
A boost to his spirituality is his rich African heritage background, which also influences his works.
“I grew up in a family that has a revered spiritual background. We have Oro, Egungu, among other traditional heritages.”
Speaking on Fadairo’s upcoming exhibition during a virtual media parley heralding the show, Tola Akerele, director, Soto Gallery, expressed her excitement, saying that the master painter is one of the pioneers of African art and that Soto Gallery is honoured to exhibit his works in its space.
“We are incredibly honored to present Ludovic Fadairo’s work for the first time in Nigeria. With this exhibition, we hope to help begin the process of reevaluating Fadairo’s place in the canon of African art,” she said.
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According to Akerele, Fadairo is a pioneer whose contributions, given due assessment, should remain relevant for at least another few generations.
“His paintings have been shown in the great art capitals of the world so we consider this exhibition evidence of Lagos’ rising esteem as well as a significant achievement for Soto,” the gallery director added.
Explaining the rationale for the exhibition in Nigeria at the virtual media parley, Fadairo said he was excited to bring his show to Nigeria, having had great shows within and outside Africa in recent past, except Nigeria, which is neighboring to Benin Republic.
Born on August 21, 1947, at Zinvie, Fadairo is a Beninese master respected in the contemporary African art scene and indeed the world. He had a traditional education at the Art School in Amsterdam, returned soon after, and developed a unique language in trans materiality and texture. Fadairo’s oeuvre encompasses painting, installation, sculpture, and works in mixed media. He seeks to understand the media he employs, which range from the traditional to the highly unorthodox including chalks and natural pigments. What We Don’t See runs from March 4 – April 2, 2023 at Soto Gallery, at #10 Omo Osagie Street, South West, Ikoyi, Lagos.
