“Abatan is not an artist in exile — his art is born at home, from the Yoruba Àṣà, and he uses European painting as a tool, not as an end.” — Moyo Okediji, exhibition catalogue (Gangemi Editore)
ÀAÀ, Àwòrán Aláṣejù Àṣà – Olamilekan Abatan and the African Neobaroque is a solo exhibition dedicated to Nigerian artist Olamilekan Abatan, curated by Antonella Pisilli and presented at Black Liquid Art Gallery in Rome.
Born in Lagos in 1997, Abatan is one of the most compelling figures in contemporary African hyperrealism. Through his refined mastery of charcoal and pencil, he reinterprets major works from Renaissance and Baroque painting from a contemporary African perspective.
In his works, the chiaroscuro, monumentality and theatrical tension of the European tradition merge with elements of African visual culture. Wax fabrics, characterised by vibrant colours and geometric patterns, become integral parts of the compositions and function as symbols of historical memory, belonging and cultural pride.
Abatan uses the Western artistic tradition not as a model to imitate, but as an instrument to transform. African subjects are placed at the centre of representation and assume a new authority within the iconographies of art history.
In his most recent works, the artist explores the dramatic language of light and shadow, drawing particular inspiration from Caravaggio and his ability to transform painting into a theatrical and psychological space.
Among the works presented, Samson and Delilah reinterprets the well-known theme of betrayal and vulnerability. The protagonists are placed within a two-dimensional space defined by wax fabric, while contemporary details, including a tablet displaying the Netflix logo and a tattoo of a skull wrapped in a serpent, introduce reflections on distraction, deception, destiny and the illusion of strength.
In Flagellation, Abatan removes all decorative elements and focuses on the suffering of the human body. Light isolates and monumentalises the figures, transforming pain into an iconic, theatrical and almost mystical dimension.
The exhibition also includes videos documenting the artist’s creative process, the construction of his compositions and his use of light. As in Caravaggio’s pictorial theatre, the subjects emerge from darkness with full intensity, conveying stories of strength, beauty, vulnerability and identity.
In the exhibition catalogue, published by Gangemi Editore, art historian Moyo Okediji describes Abatan’s practice as a form of painterly “pidgin language”, in which African and European visual elements merge into a new expressive form. The artist’s work grows from Yoruba culture and Àṣà, using European painting as an instrument rather than as a final destination.
Abatan’s practice therefore occupies a space of continuous exchange between past and present, tradition and innovation, aesthetics and content. His works do not replicate the Western canon, but rewrite it through African memory and identity.
The exhibition is organised with the collaboration of the Embassy of Nigeria in Rome.
