From May 17-30, 2014, the Omenka Gallery will present Evolving through Waste, an exhibition of recent work by well-known Nigerian artist, Raqib Bashorun. The exhibition aims to raise our awareness of forms of waste whilst highlighting the relevance of recycling.
Like most of his contemporaries, Bashorun reconstructs pre-existing materials, reinterprets and ultimately repurposes them as recycled art. The creation of something positive from the inherent negativity of waste, and the reaction of surprise, the materials inevitably drawn from the observer, are the key factors in Bashorun’s art.
According to the artist, “At take-off, I was not thinking of the popular expressions such as ‘waste to wealth’ or trash to treasure’, rather, I saw waste in an artistic sense-as an ‘art form’, and I sourced for some, which readily or through modifications, I could connect with the other forms I created myself in wood to further my mission. my approach to employing these objects was one of exploration, experimentation, commitment and passion.”