OUR CULTURES THROUGH FASHION

Featured Artist: Yannis Davy Guibinga

Exhibition Dates: Jan. 22 – Feb. 5th

Cube Project Space in Brick at Blue Start Arts Complex

Number of Works: 16 framed photographs

Exhibition Overview

In the fourth installment of the Perspectives from Within series, titled “Our Cultures Through Fashion”, we focus on the intersection of fashion and culture by surveying various contributions to African styles from around the continent. We are particularly interested in how fashion has developed and been repurposed over time as an authentic way of self-expression.

The work of Yannis Davy Guibinga embodies the spirit of our PFW theme by tapping into traditional cultural aesthetics as well as creating entirely new ways of seeing the world of fashion from African perspectives. The featured series include: The First Woman (2020), Lagbaja (2021), Yaye (2021), and Tales of the First Sunrise (2021). This collection highlights Guibinga’s artistic range by displaying the beauty of his past projects while wrestling with issues that have emerged in his work over the years.

Overall, there are several thematic categories that reoccur in this collection, such as: African mythology, femininity & womanhood, and cultural specificity. A central theme to this exhibition is the juxtaposition between old and new, or traditional and contemporary. In approaching his projects, Guibinga believes that:

“Everything is always a reinterpretation of things that have already existed, especially in terms of art and creativity. In my work, I am taking from the past to construct the ideal future for Africans”.

-Yannis Davy Guibinga

About the Artist

Yannis Davy Guibinga is a photographer from Libreville, Gabon currently based in Montréal, Canada. His portrait photography is a documentation of a new generation of Africans, unapologetically embracing their many identities and cultures in the face of globalization and Western cultural imperialism. His work also focuses on highlighting the diversity of African identities, as well as how these identities are created through the intersection of different factors such as gender, culture, and socioeconomic status. By letting each image tell a different story and illustrate a unique experience, point of view and perspective, Yannis Davy Guibinga with colors, shapes and shadows creates a world of powerful, beautiful, and dignified Africans regardless of gender performance, class, or sexual orientation.

Exhibition Image List: A list of all featured images and pricing (PFW IV-Image List)

For inquiries into sales, exhibition loans, or additional questions, contact: info@olaju.org

Featured Artists:

Wandile Xaba (South Africa), Joy Eno (Nigeria), Fatima Zohra Serri (Morocco), Ismail Zaidy (Morocco), Marouane Beslem (Morocco), Ogorogile Nong (South Africa), Ohio Ohiwerei (Nigeria), Yasmine Kazeem (Nigeria)

Exhibition Summary:

Perspectives from Within (PFW) is an identity-based project that explores the multifaceted nature of critical issues being addressed by a group of emerging photographers based in Africa. Through a curated selection of recently published images and words, PFW sheds light onto topics found to be most pressing to the participating artists at the current time. 

The central thesis of PFW is that in order for the negative, stereotypical portrayal of Africans in our society to change, we as Africans must reflect and come to understand ourselves, individually and collectively as a whole. As we further our understanding, we can then work towards reconstructing our own narratives for a better future. The exhibition presents a collection of unique yet similar projects divided between three thematic areas (Individual Identities, Shared Communities, & Reimagined Futures). The general aim is to encourage viewers to reflect on their understanding of the continent and associated topics. 

Number of Works: Total of 43 framed photographs

Exhibition Image List: A list of images and pricing (Perspectives From Within Exhibition Image List)

For inquiries into sales, exhibition loans, or additional questions, contact: info@olaju.org

Photographs by Daniel Obasi

Year Produced: 2018

Featured Artists: Daniel Obasi, Yannis Davy Guibinga, and Logor Oluwamuyiwa

‘Perspectives from Within II’ offers a rare opportunity for viewers to engage with a curated selection of photographs solely produced by contemporary African artists. This exhibition seeks to present a brief selection of the many social and political views held across the region through the lenses of three emerging photographers living and working on the continent. In alignment with the spirit of the Òlàjú African Market Creative Arts Festival, images in this collection reflect a commitment to advancing the voices of tolerance, equality, and diversity in the arts.

Reflecting on the widespread misrepresentation of African cultures, we are interested in exploring the perspectives of individuals who present their unfiltered interpretation on critical issues through photography. Narratives found within this exhibition include topics concerning self-identity, urbanization, gender norms and sexuality.

Exhibition Catalog: Perspectives from Within II Exhibition Catalog

Logor Oluwamuyiwa, Windows

Year Produced: 2016

Featured Artists: Juliana Kasumu, Temi Coker, & Logor Oluwamuyiwa

“Perspectives from Within” is a group exhibition featuring 3 emerging Nigerian photographers, providing a look into contemporary themes within the country. Each artists exposes a particular topic of his/her choice through photographs designed to engage an audience with culturally significant subject matter. The presented combination of styles and perspectives allow viewers to receive authentic insight to a range of regionally-specific issues. Through this display, representatives of Nigeria are able to provide images and ideas which they feel should be used to depict the current state of the nation.

Exhibition Lookbook: PFW2016LookBook