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GOVINDA SAH 'AZAD' at Pie Projects, Santa Fe
Acrylic on canvas, 200 x 140 cm.
October Gallery’s presentation at the tenth edition of 1-54 New York, 2024, includes a selection of dynamic works by Zana Masombuka, LR Vandy, Benji Reid, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga and Alexis Peskine. The gallery’s booth brings together vibrant photography, painting and new sculptural works.
Highlights include Zana Masombuka's first presentation in New York of her series of signature photographic works, Nges’rhodlweni: A Portal for Black Joy. Nges’rhodlweni refers to a space within the Ndebele household where people of all ages gather to share in the communion of art, creating a site of expression for the entire community.
A recent painting by acclaimed Congolese artist Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga from his ongoing Ghost of the Present series is presented. This captivating work conveys Kamuanga’s skilful ability to integrate a personal set of African iconographic symbols with wide ranging contemporary themes that resonate and engage.
Alexis Peskine presents new large-scale, mixed-media ‘portraits’ of the African diaspora, which are rendered by hammering nails of different gauges, with pinpoint accuracy, into wood. His wooden ‘canvas’ takes on an oval shape inspired by the portraits of the upper class and bourgeoisie of the 18th century Georgian era. Peskine reclaims this oval form, staining the wood with natural pigments and flower petals, such as hibiscus, curcuma and indigo. In these specific works, he deploys Japanese oxidised leaf which lends the final piece a lustrous and captivating aesthetic.
Striking photographic works by Benji Reid are exhibited for the first time in New York. Reid considers himself a Choreo-Photolist; a term he coined to encapsulate his unique
practice where theatricality, choreography and photography combine in the image. His breath-taking photography composed primarily of self-portraits, created by incredible poses with a medley of props, invites the viewer into a different dimension.
Sculpture is represented by LR Vandy’s new series of striking Hull works, in which she incorporates rope and the colour indigo, to comment on the sinister trade histories associated with both materials. Vandy transforms model boat hulls into ‘masks’, animating them with various materials, including fishing floats, porcupine quills and acupuncture needles. The artist’s solo exhibition Twist, (18th April – 25th May) at October Gallery, London, highlights her new series of visceral rope sculptures, which reference the historic importance of rope and its maritime and slave-trade connections.
To celebrate 1-54’s tenth anniversary at Somerset House, October Gallery will exhibit new works by Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, Alexis Peskine, LR Vandy, Zana Masombuka and recent sculptures by Sokari Douglas Camp CBE.
Highlights include signature masques bidons (repurposed masks) by Romuald Hazoumè. Composed of miscellaneous found materials, these compelling sculptures are droll portraits that engage with international affairs to deliver a witty social commentary. Carnaval, a solo exhibition of a new body of works by the artist, opens on 6th October at October Gallery and continues until the 26th November, 2022.
October Gallery is proud to present the first international monograph on Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, published by Rizzoli in October 2022, and will hold a book launch on Friday 14th October at 5pm, Booth W1 at 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, London. The presentation will take place surrounded by a display of new and recent works by the artist amongst others. In his work, Kamuanga explores the seismic shifts in the economic, political, and social identity of Democratic Republic of the Congo, which have been taking place since colonialism. Internationally recognized as one of the most interesting young contemporary African talents, Kamuanga’s work has been shown across Africa, Europe, and the United States.
On view will be two new bold ‘hull’ works made by LR Vandy, whose sculptures often allude to the transportation of migrants as commodities. The artist embellishes them with various materials, including fishing floats, porcupine quills and acupuncture needles, transforming them into ‘masks’. Vandy’s work was exhibited as part of the exhibition Get Up, Stand Up Now, in 2019 at Somerset House.
Alexis Peskine will present works from his recent residency in Florence, including a copper leaf nail ‘portrait’ Ikechukwu, created in 2021. This striking workcomprises earth pigment from the river Arno and nails that are meticulously hammered into wood. Peskine often reflects on his own multicultural heritage by making his pieces in a variety of places.
Also on display will be recent sculptures by Sokari Douglas Camp CBE, including Lace and Heels, a dramatic work created for her recent solo exhibition, Jonkonnu Masquerade at October Gallery in June. The artist’s monumental sculpture Europe Supported by Africa and America is on display at the V&A to complement the Africa Fashion exhibition until 14th May 2023.
Recent photographic works will be presented by Zana Masombuka who draws inspiration from her upbringing in the small town of Siyabuswa, in rural KwaNdebele, South Africa. In collaboration with different photographers, Masombuka situates herself as the subject of an ever-evolving practice that explores culture and identity.