Martine Foltier Pugh presents Art in Healthcare latest artist
One of the highlights of the Art in Healthcare calendar is the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) New Contemporaries annual exhibition, not only because of the concentration of emerging talents on display, hand picked amongst the best of Scotland’s recent graduates but also because they are able to purchase works for their collection with funding from the Hope Scott Trust.
One of the highlights of the Art in Healthcare calendar is the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) New Contemporaries annual exhibition, not only because of the concentration of emerging talents on display, hand picked amongst the best of Scotland’s recent graduates but also because they are able to purchase works for their collection with funding from the Hope Scott Trust.
This year Art in Healthcare have been bowled over by the art of master printmaker Ade Adesina, who graduated from Gray’s School of Art in Aberdeen.
RSA exhibition, image courtesy of the artist
It is easy to see why. The Nigerian born artist now based in
the UK brings together technical virtuosity with thought-provoking themes. His
highly detailed lino cuts and etchings showcase his dual Nigerian and British
cultural heritage and his concern for environmental issues is delivered with a keen
sense of humour. The accuracy of his drawings comes mostly from direct
observation recorded through sketches and photographs while experiencing other
cultures. Travelling is important as it helps him formulate the issues of
cultural identity that are at the heart of his practice.
RSA exhibition, image courtesy of the artist
The amount of details and repetitive marks that fill his
landscapes is astonishing, each print taking him on average two months to
complete. He recalls the moment
when, while visiting Paris as an undergraduate, he was awestruck by an
impressionist painting by Claude Monet where tiny brush strokes filled up the
large canvas. Adesina revels in labour intensive processes.
Mirage lino cut 112cmx76cm
image courtesy of the artist
There are echoes of Monet’s paintings in ‘Mirage’, one of the
three acquisitions by Art in Healthcare, where almost every head of wheat stands out across
the expansive field. The deep trenches carved by heavy agricultural machinery
take the eye down to the myriad of ripples on the Firth of Forth and to flotillas
of fish farm enclosures flanked by the rail and road bridges, with the city
spread around Edinburgh castle in the far distance. The use of iconic imagery here
makes intensive farming appear even more incongruous and unsettling.
Decline lino cut 112cmx76cm
image courtesy of the artist
‘Decline’ is a comment on the disappearance of the majestic and
slow growing baobabs because of unsustainable logging. In the
print, the trees seem to act as buffers between the restless and troubled sky
and the ground. What will happen when they have all gone?
North East
Safari
image courtesy of the artist
In ‘North East Safari’,
where ‘North East’ refers to the Grampian region with Dunnottar Castle and the
oil rigs in the distance, the punch is forceful and the argument is
multi-layered. From the nesting grouse, that famous native bird game, in the
foreground to the African endangered wildlife roaming the plain below, the
peace in this Garden of Eden is about to be shattered by the hunt appearing on
the left while the feigned naivety of the composition derides colonial perceptions
of African culture.
This satirical element transforms the work and places
Adesina within the tradition of artists such as Chris Offili and Yinka Shonibare
who both inspire him.
Adesina’s remarkable talent was rewarded during the RSA New
Contemporaries exhibition by no less than three prizes. He has also
now sold out a number of print editions. Altogether this is a highly deserved
achievement that predicts a bright future.
Martine Foltier Pugh is a freelance writer and visual artist based in Edinburgh
Credits
With thanks to Ade Adesina for his information and images
Links
Ade Adesina website http://www.adeadesina.com
The Hope Scott Trust http://www.hopescotttrust.co.uk
Gray's School of Art http://www.rgu.ac.uk/about/faculties-schools-and-departments/faculty-of-design-and-technology/gray-s-school-of-art/gray-s-school-of-art
The Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries exhibition http://www.royalscottishacademy.org/pages/exhibition_frame.asp?id=392
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