Turner’s Whispers on display

The event which took place Wednesday at the residence of the Italian Ambassador featured 20 works of the Ghanaian ranging from paintings, to wood panels, mixed media and abstract which provoked a lot of debate as well as appreciation of the concepts and themes of the works. Exhibiting for the second time in Nigeria after […]

The event which took place Wednesday at the residence of the Italian Ambassador featured 20 works of the Ghanaian ranging from paintings, to wood panels, mixed media and abstract which provoked a lot of debate as well as appreciation of the concepts and themes of the works.

Exhibiting for the second time in Nigeria after two years in the country, the artist described this set of works as pieces which his environment and interactions in Nigeria have provoked and reflect the rich African heritage in the colours, characters and the forms. “We are so sophisticated and delicate when it comes to colours. The colours we see around are as a result of colonialism. They print our fabrics and put bogus designs.  But the true African is a noble man.”

A dominant feature of the works was the fact that they were composed in three parts which according to the artist, reflects the essence of human existence – the mind, body and soul. “You know who you are, you think and you pick up your body and you work. When these three come together, they make you.”

Turner who said he is always thinking, added that he is provoked by comments on Africa being third world, underdeveloped and the likes. “These cause me to go back to history, our architecture, our men and women, our stories. That is how I started using the simple and basic things around me like the market woman, the chair and fabrics as illustrations in my works. I don’t create anything artificial which for me is the beauty of Africa. Women are so special because they are the only ones who can assure us of survival and are capable of reproducing.”

Originally a filmmaker, the artist hides his ‘aggression’ and ‘arrogance’ in the aesthetics and presentation of his works and avoids comparing the African woman with their western counterparts.

Though an abstract piece, the love of all who saw it was Whispers which spoke volumes of the African woman in different spheres and her ability to create generations. “Look at the arrogance and elegance of the woman in her attire and colours. This piece questions the notion of poverty and the appropriateness of its definition in the African context.”

Other works exhibited included Bipedality, Online and Makeup.