'BEFORE THE STRING SNAPPED'
“Speak out or take some action abeg you no delay. No let
matters worse pass as e dey…”
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Using many outlets for his creative expression, Uchay
Joel Chima is an artist who continually questions how to address he subjects
that intrigues him. The degree to which he does so is noteworthy, especially
because the diversity within his practice is not always obvious. At first
glance, whether at an art auction in Lagos
or in a group exhibition, one might presumptuously reduce his work to painting,
perhaps a version of the romanticized painting that riddled the Nigerian art
community in the mid-1900s. And if his work is not placed in that group, then
it could be mistakenly understood solely in the context mixed media art, a
contemporary technique that is highly variable in many respects, from physical
appearance to conceptual rigor.
It is rare that one of Joel Chima’s work, much less his
entire oeuvre, fits comfortably into any single category. To be sure, his
approach to making art envelops a mixture of the trends referenced above and
more. The concepts that Joel Chima’s techniques grapple are unbound by time and
simultaneously, albeit ironically, often emerge in response to the fleeting
present. This is exemplified in his series Na Who I Go Ask? Whose title
comes from the popular song, “If You Ask Me”, song by Nigerian singer
Omawunmi. Here, constraining paint to the contours of strings,
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Joel Chima renders anonymous figures looking in every which direction.
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Joel Chima renders anonymous figures looking in every which direction.
Though the artist
describes these forms as, “just a circle of people in discourse on societal
issues,” they also seem independent, resolute, and caught unawares in a densely
populated place like lagos .
Joel Chima explores human experience through many projects
simultaneously, leaving some open-ended. One of his ongoing ventures is Residue
Collection Of Societal and Environmental
Mishaps: HABITAT LOSS. He began this project in 2009 while collecting remains
from burnt trees, houses, marketplaces, or villages where ethnic clashes had
taken place. This project certainly comments upon contemporary interactions
between communities, presenting video footage and charcoal fragments as
evidence; however, it has as much to do with the degradation of the environment.
Such references could not be more salient as threats from Boko Haram, the
Islamic extremist sect, and the havoc of global warming have become common
place. Joel Chima ‘s cognizance of contemporary happenings such as these is
presented in his works as rearranged documentation, often from an objective
stand point.
Before the String Snapped, the title of this exhibition,
refers to works where the artist uses strings to craft forms in concert with
the expressive application of paint. Herein, strings add texture to his
compositions, whether outlining the silhouette of a figure as in the previously
mentioned Na Who I Go Ask series, emphasizing elements such as hair, or
uniformly disrupting the entire surface of a work. The string signifies the
link from one human being to another in which visual art itself can be a
conduit. In addition, there are the many other connections that can be
imagined, whether to the environment, material objects, or a spiritual realm.These connections from a web of priorities, which shift in the artist’s works as in life.
Upon close observation of many of such works, enabled by
solo exhibitions such as this one, it becomes apparent that this artist has
been predisposed to using particular techniques, each of which has developed
independently. Together, the breadth materials across his practice make hi
arguably one of the most experimental artists working in
- Tayo Ogunbiyi
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Na who I go ask?, 48inches by 48inches
