Atanda Quadri Adebayo “Just Breathe”

Allouche Gallery

poster for Atanda Quadri Adebayo “Just Breathe”

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Allouche Gallery presents Just Breathe, a show by Atanda Quadri Adebayo.

Just Breathe is a new body of work by Atanda Quadri Adebayo, availing as a point of therapy for the artist. The world has undergone a shared experience amidst the Covid19 pandemic; anxiety contrasting shared love and other personal experiences in this trying time.

“As the world has gradually opened back up, working on the Just Breathe exhibition has been perfect for me to ease my tension and I cordially invite the audience to join me in just breathing. I cherish every bit of it as we continue to hold on to hope and love whilst the world returns to normal,” Adebayo stated. “In this new body of work, I have used friends, lovers and other acquaintances I have connected with online during the lock down to inspire these works.

For Atanda Quadri Adebayo, painting is a journey of self-discovery and realization that allows him to acknowledge the past and project himself towards the future. The artist was born in the ancient coastal city of Badagry, on the outskirts of Lagos, Nigeria, once an important geographical crossroads in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. As a son of these lands, the brutal colonial past is a part of his story, which is transmitted through his paintings. The figures that populate his work represent unbroken men and women who burst with color and hope, despite the adversity embedded in their life. Portrayed in elegant poses, the facial expressions embody empowered vulnerability, as well as bliss amidst struggle.

Adebayo’s first approach to art-making took place at an early age, when the mother used to bring home chunks of charcoal that she would sell in Lagos, Nigeria to sustain the family. He took an interest in drawing with charcoal which has translated into his work today. His use of charcoal to render the skin of his figures is a symbol of Home and Origin which allows him to elevate not only his art but his personal story.

Adebayo’s “artist soul” motif is a symbol of resilience as he uses the repetition of an abstract pattern created by blowing watercolor on canvas using a straw. The simple act of painting using his breath becomes a metaphor of life that allows him to infuse his art with parts of himself, combining both life and art.

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Schedule

from November 18, 2021 to December 14, 2021

Opening Reception on 2021-11-18 from 18:00 to 21:00

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