inspiration through tradition
since the early sixties of the twentieth century, the nigerian yoruba city of oshogbo has been the hub of an art scene that attracts great attention worldwide thanks to its dynamism and radiance. one aspect is the tradition of batik.
the central theme of berlin-based batik artist kazeem agboola is his home country, nigeria.
he belongs to the young generation of artists who draw on traditional crafts and their motifs and have found their own visual language through adaptation.
his multicoloured works on paper are his way of conveying the cultural, social and religious values of the yoruba.
with astonishing variety he takes up impressions of important festivals and rites as well as everyday scenes such as market life or village life.
his works are characterised by sharply defined contours with fine, flowing colour transitions. the rhythmically structured background patterns, never static, form surfaces in a richly nuanced colour palette, and the linear effects make the elaborate working process visible.
