Leading art gallery based in Ikeja, Lagos Mainland, The Content, recently rebranded with Ini Brown’s solo exhibition celebrating African people, culture and the environment.
SEVEN years after operating as The Content and showcasing works by some of Nigeria’s best artists in solo and joint exhibitions, the gallery inside the luxury homeware store Adam & Eve, Ikeja GRA, Lagos, has rebranded into ArtLab.
It has hosted over 36 artists, including masters and upcoming ones, since its establishment in 2017. Some of these include Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya, Sir Kolade Oshinowo, Tola Wewe, Lekan Onabanjo, Zino Orara, Duke Asidere, Olu Ajayi, Alex Nwokolo and Sam Ovraiti.
The Content also hosted Tayo Adenaike, Tunde Soyinka, Juliet Ezenwa-Pearce, Raqib Bashorun, Emmanuel Stanley Dudu, Fidelis Odogwu, Segun Aiyesan, Emeka Nwagbara, Ibe Ananaba, Clara Aden, Damola Adepoju, Olumide Oresegun and Elizabeth Ekpetorson among others.
On November 1, the gallery rebranded as ArtLab with a solo exhibition by watercolourist Ini Brown titled ‘Africa’s Splendour’. Eminent Nigerians witnessed the occasion. The Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, Chief Abiola Dosunmu, was the guest of honour while the Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television, John Momoh, and his wife, Sola, unveiled the exhibition featuring some 40 watercolour pieces, 10 acrylic oils on canvas and miniatures.
The works were a visual feast, presenting Africa and its people, cultures, traditions and environment in a stunning presentation.
Watercolor on paper
Size: 22×30 inches (unframed)
28×36 inches (framed)
In ‘Bountiful Catch’, Brown, who trained formally at The Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State, masterfully depicts a riverine community with stilt houses and winding pathways that blend seamlessly with the lush surroundings. He also includes a fisherman holding two large fishes in each hand, proudly displaying the day’s catch in the painting. In addition to showcasing the traditional livelihood of riverine communities, Brown, who also trained at the Fate Foundation and in the United Kingdom, indicates an interest in the environment.
The artist’s ‘Serene Passage’ is a breathtaking landscape, inviting viewers into its tranquil world. Tree trunks seamlessly merge with lush foliage, while a pathway carpeted with fallen leaves enhances the beauty.
The ‘asoebi’, Nigeria’s cultural export to the world, is also celebrated in ‘Africa’s Splendour’. In ‘Aso-Ebi Elegance’, Brown captures joyous, gorgeous women adorned in matching attire. He doesn’t leave out the head tie, better known as gele in the work, using celebratory colours, including red, yellow, orange, and violet.
In ‘Market Matriarchs’, the artist showcases four women traders engaged in a lively discussion. His mastery of watercolour technique makes the women the focal point, and the background dissolves into expressive shapes and colours, evoking the dynamic market atmosphere. Vibrant hues and textures capture the women’s energy, resilience, and camaraderie.
In the show, which ended just yesterday, Saturday, November 23, Brown affirms his preference for highlighting people’s daily lives in his immediate environment. He depicts Africa’s diverse peoples and landscapes, as well as their destinies and circumstances. The artist reflects on their daily aspirations, hopes, struggles, and despairs.
“It’s all about projecting Africa in a very positive way. Even my use of colours, I try to be very colourful to show the continent in bright lights,” Brown stated in a brief exchange at the exhibition’s opening.
The show’s curator, Lekan Onabanjo, also referenced its uniqueness by describing it as the most important display of splendid cultural content in paintings in Lagos during the current art season.
Onabanjo also commented on The Content’s rebranding into ArtLab Gallery and its focus on promoting art on the mainland. “It’s a success story after promoting art under The Content Gallery for about seven years. The Content is now rebranded as ArtLab Gallery, with more strength after our successful experience of about seven years with artists and art collectors.”
Erelu Dosunmu, the guest of honour, commended both the artist and the gallery on the exhibition, noting that it’s a positive effort to divert the world’s attention back to Africa, the home of exquisite art.
