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Affinity Art Gallery presents ‘A Vernacular Homage to Architecture and Design’ a collaboration with Undiscovered Canvas, a boutique art agency based on the French Riviera, featuring sculptural work by Nigerian artist Adams Anne alongside paintings by South African artist Lulama ‘Wolf’ Mlambo.

‘A Vernacular Homage to Architecture and Design’ highlights the importance of tradition, heritage, design and sustainability. The exhibition focuses on the social functions and information passed down through generations by African matriarchs, outside of a globalized modern commercial practice. The artist’s take the viewers back in time when art existed out of the necessity of who people were, their lifestyles, culture, spiritualism, and when humanity was intertwined in a rhythmic dance with nature.

Adams Anne, Ákam dì Òchá, 2021. Glazed terracotta, 45 x 35cm. Courtesy of Affinity Art Gallery.Adams Anne, Ákam dì Òchá, 2021. Glazed terracotta, 45 x 35cm. Courtesy of Affinity Art Gallery.

Using vernacular techniques and textures Anne’s works incorporate structure, design, and authentic Nigerian symbols adapted from Nsibidi and Mbari art. The use of symmetry in her works is a harmonious display of interactions with balance and indigenous design. Her works are intimate, familiar, and a representation of abundance and harmony which tell stories about the origins and belonging of Africans.

Lulama 'Wolf' Mlambo, Bana ba Ma'am Zima (iv), 2021. Acrylic and sand on canvas, 39 x 30cm. Courtesy of Affinity Art Gallery.Lulama ‘Wolf’ Mlambo, Bana ba Ma’am Zima (iv), 2021. Acrylic and sand on canvas, 39 x 30cm.

Vernacular architecture is a principal theme in Lulama’s work, exploring the human disposition in imaginative and stylized ways. Lulama interrogates the pre-colonial African experience through the contemporary mind by studying the patterns used in decorating homes, similar to the practice by the women of the Ndebele tribe of Southern Africa. These patterns serve as a means of communication. Mlambo’s approach to her new body of works “Remaining Vernacular” is reminiscent of the textures and character of these South African modes of communication.

Adams Anne was born in 1993 in Nigeria and is a contemporary ceramic artist currently working and living in Lagos. Anne focuses on using her medium and style to change the narrative surrounding the quality and potential of ceramic as an art form in Nigeria. Anne has participated in local and international group exhibitions and has featured in online publications and televised shows including; BBC News Pidgin, Daily Trust Newspaper, Channels TV.

Lulama ‘Wolf’ Mlambo was born in 1993 and is a visual artist who lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa. In her first year at the University of Johannesburg, studying fine art and fashion, Mlambo expressionist and abstract interest became more evident in her work. Being a millennial creative, Mlambo has been known for different forms of expression. She is inspired by two avant-garde South African artists, Mmakgabo Helen Sebidi and Ernest Mancoba. Mlambo work has been a subject of group exhibitions worldwide including, THK Gallery, Group Exhibition, Cape Town, (2020); Undiscovered Canvas, Group Exhibition, Antibes, (2020); 1-54, Online Group Show, Paris, (2021); Nature of Women, Artshesays, New York, (2021).

The exhibition will be on view from the 1st until the 28th of August 2021.

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