This touch of the sensuality of life amidst the usual cold dissection of conceptualism makes up the fresh look of Ebenezer Agboola.

Ebenezer Agboola, an artist of Nigerian origin living in the UK, does lens-based painting. "The raw photos I took with my camera were used as my canvas. They assisted me in expressing my ideas and ideals for the final images," he says. Above all, his work reinterprets classical complimentary portraiture, providing a visual analysis of what it is that attracts the subjects depicted in such works. Even the titles themselves - e.g. "Traditional wedding" - are juxtaposed with glamorous imagery, giving the viewer a hint that, of course, tradition is by no means immutable.

At the same time, one cannot help noticing that the author here more often than not sides with the characters, admiring the world as if it had just been created. In the paintings, just such names, just such poses, and just such an immediate joy of beauty are appropriate - as if being experienced for the first time. Should it be a dialogue with the classics of salon portraiture, or a sincere admiration for the characters? Why not both? "I utilise colour and other creative tools to capture the beauty of our culture", the painter says. This is indeed the skill of expressing pure joy which cold conceptualism often lacks.

Victoria Dini
03.03.2021