Nigerian-born innovator and musician, Oluwatosin ‘Mr Eazi’ Ajibade, continues to unveil his debut album through a music and art exhibition. The 32-year-old art enthusiast curated this exhibition to celebrate love, freedom, happiness, and the themes explored in his album.
The touring exhibition, titled ‘The Evil Genius,’ first opened in Accra at Gallery 1957 in September. It then made its way to London as part of the special projects at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair.
The exhibition received a great turnout from the public and was featured in ArtNews as one of the best booths at the 2023 edition of the fair. Notable VIP guests include actress Temi Otedola, renowned performance artist Marina Abramović, film director Todd Eckert, Shola Akinlade of Paystack, Ashley Verse, DJ Cuppy, Tom Tripp, and many others.
After its successful showing in London, the exhibition will now move to Lagos in November.
The exhibition showcases 16 artworks from 12 artists chosen by Mr Eazi, representing eight African countries. Among the featured artists are Dominique Zinkpè and Patricorel from Cotonou, Benin, Tesprit from Lomé, Togo, and Samuel Tete-Katchan from Accra, Ghana. Also included are Tammy Sinclair from Abuja, Nigeria, Alpha ODH from Nairobi, Kenya, Chinaza Nkemka and Edozie Anedu from Lagos, Nigeria, Elangwe Sesse from Cameroon, Ikechukwu Christian from Lagos, Nigeria, Kufa Makwavarara from Zimbabwe/South Africa, and Sandra Seghir from Dakar, Senegal.
The selection process for visual collaborators was informal and instinctual for Mr Eazi, similar to his approach with musical collaborations. He reached out to the artists whose art he liked, shared the song with them, had discussions about its meaning, and gave them the freedom to create.
Mr Eazi dedicated over two years to this project, aiming to share his vision with the world and ignite meaningful conversations about Contemporary African Art.
