Time of Redeemer: Visually striking narrative of nation in search of leadership

By Prisca Sam-Duru

At the halfway of Nigeria’s internationally acclaimed artist, Onyema Ofoedu-Okeke’s caller works present showing astatine Truview Arts and Frames Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, is the request for existent leadership.

The accumulation of timeless creation by Ofoedu-Okeke titled “Time of Redeemer”, opened connected Wednesday, October 1, coinciding with Nigeria’s 65th Independence commemoration.

The month-long accumulation features 27 breathtaking works from the maestro artist’s 2025 collection.

Offoedu-Okeke, besides a writer and designer who has made tremendous interaction connected Nigeria’s creation landscape, successful this solo exhibition, explores the Nigerian story: from post-colonial struggles to present-day challenges. The artist’s thought-provoking reflections marque the strongest constituent of the accumulation not lone astir the country’s chequered past but its troubling contiguous and uncertain future.

Time of Redeemer blends unneurotic the history, politics, and struggles of a 65-year-old state inactive grappling with enactment issues. 

Viewers are immersed successful the postulation of masterful and insightful works wherever the creator explores the intersection of colours, textures and emotions.

Renowned for his ingenuity successful blending African accepted aesthetics with abstract and cubist techniques, Ofoedu-Okeke’s works are distinguished by bold colour pallets, layered successful translucent patches that make vibrancy and rhythm.

Striking titles successful the assemblage of enactment include, the rubric piece, “Time of Redeemer”, “Trial of Oligarchy” (Acrylic connected Canvas, 48″ x 48″, 2025), “Technocracy I & II” (Acrylic connected Canvas, 36″ x 48″, 2025), and “Mass Agitation” (Acrylic connected Canvas, 48″ x 48″, 2025), “Fire of Change” (Acrylic connected canvas, 48” x 48”, 2025), “Wind of Change” (Acrylic connected Canvas, 48” x 48”, 2025), “Persistence of Oligarchy” ( Acrylic connected Canvas, 48” x 48”, 2025).

Each enactment demonstrates his quality to equilibrium abstraction and practice resulting successful creation pieces that are visually striking arsenic good arsenic profoundly resonant, reflecting connected topical themes with mostly socio governmental commentary.

In “Persistence of Oligarchy” the creator paints a Rolls Royce immersed successful elements that tin represent protestation materials.  “The Rolls Royce automobile marque figurative conveys ocular powerfulness condensed from instances of social-political privilege, citation of fiscal might, and the eventual icon of people distinction.” In the post-period of societal gyration staged by masses of fringe dwellers, the rules of governmental engagement prevarication beneath pools and floods of manuscripts. They screamed retired against tyranny by the elite class. Undaunted, “the elites and oligarchs plow their controlling instruments done the dense heaps of governmental placards, rhetoric and subversive postures.”

“Locomotive Ideation” is different precise captivating creation portion connected display. A fig with each manus dropping by the sides has his bicycle connected the head. Even without the gloomy face, observers volition announcement that each is not well. An entity that is expected to convey the proprietor to a destination is alternatively being fixed a lift. This portion could good explicate the bittersweet world of beingness for a Nigerian today.

The rubric portion “Time of Redeemer”, the creator explained, depicts a expansive entranceway of a antheral connected horseback — a awesome of hope, power, and paradox successful Nigeria’s hunt for a existent leader.

“So far, successful its 65 years, Nigeria inactive awaits the accomplishment of anyone upon whom the attire of a quintessential governmental redeemer fits well,” helium stated. The mode of quality alternates from the astir unassuming carriage to the astir blase transporter. Reflectively, modes of quality formed successful paradoxical settings specified arsenic equine rider, rolls Royce passenger, etc, underlines concerts of events surrounding specified emergence.

This enactment portrays however each clip a caller person emerges, the radical are benignant of overjoyed but afterwards things stay the same. “The caller person makes a singular quality connected the scene. With him comes a retinue, a full entourage of hope. You see, the colours detonate here. The quality of a caller authorities is oftentimes met with an detonation of joyousness and anticipation of governance,” helium explained.

Nigeria’s 65-year journey, helium noted, inactive mirrors the aboriginal expectations ...