Truth and Conspiracy: Samuel Nnorom

Truth and Conspiracyas the theme of this exhibition suggest is a studio exploration that interrogate that metaphorical quality of material and technique into the materiality of creative existence to convey artistic response. The themederives from the rolling, concealing and unconcealing the nature of bubbles with African print wax fabric popularly known as Ankara fabric that is stitched to constitute the visual and formal element that embodies the body of work under discourse. In other words, concealing material could mean conspiracy against materiality while unconcealing material could also be refer to as being truth to materiality. However, these two word “truth” and “conspiracy” becomes the pilot to the discourse of material and process of this exhibition.

 

The major material constituent in the production of Truth and Conspiracy is African print wax fabric. African print wax fabric in Truth and Conspiracy seriesdrew its foundation from the vacillating origin of Ankara fabric in Africa_ It was said that Ankara fabric originated from Indonesia but was brought to Africa by the colonial masters who found Africa as a dumping ground for the rejected fabrics in Europe. It was also said the fabric was used by European trader to exchange gold, cocoa and other resources with the African trader. Also, it was believed to have come from a city called Ankara in turkey. But most African historian agreed that its design, motif and colours are African_ these uncertainties, gave rise to the manipulation of the story either to please the African’s or to glorify the white (colonial masters Europeans). African print wax fabric commonly known as “Ankara prints”, “African prints”,”African wax prints”, “Holland wax” ,“Dutch wax”, or kitanga in East-Africa is a 100% cotton fabric with vibrant patterns and complimentary colours. It is usually a colorful fabric which is primarily associated with Africa because of its tribal-like patterns and motifs. Ankara fabric can be adaptable on many items such as hats, earrings, blazers, and shoes etc. which many fashion brands and fabric suppliers have manufactured ankara prints on fabrics like chiffon, silk, spandex, leathers for clothing such as kaftans, iro and bubas, bathing suits, sports bars, leggings, socks and shoes. These backgrounds hold important clues to the conceptual content of works in this project.

 

Bubbles are elements or structure that holds or store something for a period of time, respectively. Conjoining the vacillating history of Ankara fabric and the encased structure of bubble and what it represents; it makes it easier for the audience to contemplate the individual statement every piece entertains. Imperatively, these pieces of sculpture are not limited to the history of Ankara fabric rather, it laid the terrain upon which the artist narrates his creative discourse through personal experiences, recent happenings, futuristic prediction, and global content. The exploration on the synergic materiality in relation to the structural formation of bubbles into sculptural piece gives the idea or thought of what Plato consider as “the real world of the forms, which are perfect and unchanging and the sensible world that we all perceive around us which is an imperfect copy of forms and insofar as the copy is imperfect so is its illusion”. However, the socio-political, socio-cultural, socio-economic and socio-religious interaction among individuals and their interactions creates a social structure these pieces investigate.

 

However, a coin has two sides and any of these sides can only be used as legal tender, if and only if it is not separated from each other, which implies that only one side of a coin can never operate on its own independently of the other side no matter the value the currency bears; but if it does, it loses its efficacy, authenticity and value of being a legal tender. In line with the above analogy, this series Truth and Conspiracy, draw its inspiration from the events of 2020, a post-pandemic era that has led the world to experience some levels of paradigm shift following the COVID19 pandemic, Black Lives matter, End SARS protest in Nigeria, American Election saga, and the current political, insecurities and economic global crisis which has led to so many conspiracies and truth been inter-twined together.

 

Finally, I hope this exhibition provides a background for my audience to engaged with each work individually from their experiences and possibly lead to an unending possibilities.

 

- Critic essay curated by Samuel Nnorom