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London 2016

  • 1-54 Forum 2016
  • Exhibitors 2016
  • Explore 1:54 London 2016 virtual tour
  • Sponsors 2016

Olagunju, NiyiTAFETA

Born 1981 in Sagamu, Nigeria
Lives and works in Abuja, Nigeria and London, UK

Niyi Olagunju, Baga Nimba Purple Chrome, 2020, Chrome plated resin, 138 × 46 × 60 cm. Courtesy of TAFETA 

Niyi Olagunju’s contemporary appropriation of traditional African sculptures continues his exploration of global trade and, in his words: ‘the absolute commoditisation of everything’. The sculptures, which are usually exhibited alongside preparatory sketches, are bisected vertically and have their internal surfaces primed and coated in metals mined from the region from which they are originally sourced. The project questions the value system driving the continuing growth in the sale of traditional African artifacts, which although originally made and used for specific long-standing traditional functions, are now ultimately valued according to their provenance and rarity. Olagunju’s use of precious and semiprecious metals lends consideration to the complex relationships that emerge from the exploitation of natural resources on the African continent, and its subsequent effects on communities and their cultural legacies.

A practicing studio artist having had exhibitions globally, his works reside in several private collections Africa, Europe & America. Recently Olagunju’s sculptures were shown as part of Get Up, Stand Up Now, Somerset House, London (2019); and KUBATANA, Vestfossen Kunstlabratorium, Oslo (2019). His work was been recently acquired at TEFAF Maastricht 2020 by the House of the European History in Brussel, Belgium.

Selected Artists

Bandoma, Steve

El Ghezal, Fakhri

Wanjiku, Beatrice

Souissi, Douraïd

Ouhaddou, Sara

Gakunga, Naomi Wanjiku

Eyongakpa, Em’Kal

Jasse, Délio

Artists 2016

  • A

    • Aboudia
  • P

    • Protected: Aboudia (test page)
    • A

      • Afifi, Said
      • Agbodjelou, Leonce Raphael
      • Andrianomearisoa, Joël
      • Atbane, Youness
      • Ategwa, Ajarb Bernard
    • B

      • Ba, Cheikhou
      • Bandoma, Steve
      • Barka
      • Barnette, Sadie
      • Barnor, James
      • Ben Cheffaj, Saad
      • Ben Khelil, Yesmine
      • Ben Rejeb, Lina
      • Benbouchta, Amina
      • Benohoud, Hicham
      • Berhanu, Merikokeb
      • Bieber, Jodi
      • Bondo, Vitshois Mwilambwe
      • Botha, Lien
      • Bouabdellah, Zoulikha
      • Boughriet, Halida
      • Boutté, Nathalie
    • C

      • Camara, Seyni Awa
      • Chamekh, Nidhal
      • Chihota, Virginia
      • Clottey, Serge Attukwei
    • D

      • de Medeiros, Emo
      • de Miranda, Mónica
      • Dingwall, Justin
      • Diouf, Mbaye Babacar
      • Douglas Camp, Sokari
      • Dükü, Ernest
    • E

      • Ehikhamenor, Victor
      • El Baz, Mohamed
      • El Ghezal, Fakhri
      • El Makhloufi, Nabil
      • El Mur, Salah
      • Enwonwu, Ben
      • Erruas, Safaa
      • Eyongakpa, Em’Kal
    • F

      • Fadugba, Modupeola
      • Fatmi, Mounir
    • G

      • Gakunga, Naomi Wanjiku
      • Gbaguidi, Pélagie
      • Glover, Ablade
      • Guerresi, Maïmouna
    • H

      • Hajjaj, Hassan
      • Hampton, Karen
      • Hazoumè, Romuald
      • Hinkle, Kenyatta A.C.
      • Hwami, Kudzanai-Violet
    • J

      • Jackson, Ayana V.
      • Jasse, Délio
      • Jeyifous, Olalekan
    • K

      • Kamuanga Ilunga, Eddy
      • Karuti, Jackie
      • Kganye, Lebohang
      • Khattari, Majida
      • Khelil, Farah
      • Konaté, Abdoulaye
      • Kosrof, Wosene Worke
      • Kossentini, Nicène
    • L

      • Lady Skollie
      • Leuba, Namsa
      • Lo, Ndary
    • M

      • Mabunda, Gonçalo
      • Maiga, Hamidou
      • Malinda, Ato
      • Maludi, Houston
      • Maluka, Mustafa
      • Mancoba, Ernest
      • Marasela, Senzeni
      • Martin, Onyis
      • Masamvu, Misheck
      • Mashile, Colbert
      • Mathison, Michele
      • Maxim, Georgina
      • Mbikayi, Maurice
      • Mendel, Gideon
      • Michéa, Vincent
      • Mika, JP
      • Modisakeng, Mohau
      • Monteiro, Fabrice
      • Moschetti, Jean-Claude
      • Mudariki, Richard
      • Mudaulane, Celestino
      • Muraguri, Dennis
    • N

      • Nahusenay, Leikun
      • Ndiaye, Cheikh
      • Nyandoro, Gareth
      • Nzebo, Boris
    • O

      • Ogunji, Wura-Natasha
      • Olagunju, Niyi
      • Olatunji, Babajide
      • Onditi, Paul
      • Opoku, Zohra
      • Ouadahi, Driss
      • Ouhaddou, Sara
      • Oukpedjo, Sadikou
      • Ové, Zak
    • P

      • Parks, Gordon
      • Payne, Johnathan
      • Petros, Dawit L.
      • Pinto, Mauro
      • Platter, Cameron
    • S

      • Sanogo, Amadou
      • Saouli, Abdeljalil
      • Selmani, Massinissa
      • Shomali, Kura
      • Sinzogan, Julien
      • Soudan, Gor
      • Souissi, Douraïd
      • Stanley, Ransome
    • T

      • Takadiwa, Moffat
      • Tamagni, Daniele
      • Terjuman, Houda
      • Thuku, David
      • Tsegaye, Michael
      • Tshindele, Pathy
    • V

      • Van Hove, Eric
      • Veleko, Nontsikelelo
      • Vidal, Francisco
    • W

      • Wanjiku, Beatrice
    • Y

      • Yamou
    • Z

      • Zangewa, Billie

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