Abe Odedina

“If, like me, you don’t have the discipline or the interest in holding these clear categories, then maybe it’s better to enjoy that morphing from hard facts to poetry, from something to nothing.”

Born 1960 in  Nigeria, Abe Odedina lives between London and Salvador Bahia. He along with The Underground Museum was awarded the Ellsworth Kelly Award from the Foundation of Contemporary Arts, New York in 2017. His work is procured by several collections including The British Government Art and the Serge Tiroche  Collection.

Initially trained as an architect his endeavour in the field of art began with his trip to Brazil in 2007. His artworks are allegorical pieces that speak beyond physical borders and current ideas of relationships between life and art. Although simplified, his language is steeped in narratives that run between the home (interior) and the external world. His native land plays an important role in his artworks. The influence of African art both in thematic and figurative ways blended with a sense of magic realism is a major highlight of his practice. His works often refer to oral traditions and myths with bold articulation. 

Odedina’s artworks revisit the classical themes spanning from the ancient Greek world to Yoruba culture with a contemporary approach. As a result, his works become a site for conversations between epochs of cultures and peoples. Notably, his works create a third space beyond the existing myths and contemporary concerns. Believing in intense imagination as a cue to his creations, his works have fetched gradual international acclaim.