"From time to A Time" - Johnson Eziefula
MARUANI MERCIER has the pleasure to present the debut solo exhibition of young, emerging talent Johnson Eziefula opening on September 8nd, and running until October 22nd 2022, at the gallery’s Brussels location. Dedicated to his late brother, From Time to a Timeis a selection of works from a new series entitled “How Did We Get Here?” which presents a dialogue between distinct phases of the artist's life. Eziefula’s contemplative portraits interrogate the circumstances that cloud the beauty in his life.
Engrossed in subject matters such as fate, faith, and love, these themes were instigated by the terminal illness of his beloved family member. He embarks on a journey towards self-reflection, soul-searching, andintrospection, characterized by a strong sense of nostalgia. The artist questions his inner self––the “hows” and “whys”––of a bittersweet journey that led to the present. His autobiographical works record this emotional journey through the guise of real-life subjects close to him, including family members and friends.
As a self-described naturalist painter, he aims to capture the essence of the human condition, focusing on attributes such as identity, psyche, and cultural hybridity. His early influences include illustrations in works of canonical African literature, such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and various anthologies of African poetry. He refers to these examples directly by depicting his subjects engrossed in them. Rendered in dark, sultry tones, his charcoal, pastel and acrylic work also allude to his creative predecessors and contemporaries, including Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kerry James Marshall,and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye,whose styles subconsciously contribute to his artistic wholeness.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1998, Johnson Eziefula received his Bachelor’s degree in the pharmaceutical field prior to pursuing a career as an artist. This exhibition marks his first solo show in Europe after having previously exhibited in several group shows across the continent, in Africa, and the United States.
Engrossed in subject matters such as fate, faith, and love, these themes were instigated by the terminal illness of his beloved family member. He embarks on a journey towards self-reflection, soul-searching, andintrospection, characterized by a strong sense of nostalgia. The artist questions his inner self––the “hows” and “whys”––of a bittersweet journey that led to the present. His autobiographical works record this emotional journey through the guise of real-life subjects close to him, including family members and friends.
As a self-described naturalist painter, he aims to capture the essence of the human condition, focusing on attributes such as identity, psyche, and cultural hybridity. His early influences include illustrations in works of canonical African literature, such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and various anthologies of African poetry. He refers to these examples directly by depicting his subjects engrossed in them. Rendered in dark, sultry tones, his charcoal, pastel and acrylic work also allude to his creative predecessors and contemporaries, including Toyin Ojih Odutola, Kerry James Marshall,and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye,whose styles subconsciously contribute to his artistic wholeness.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1998, Johnson Eziefula received his Bachelor’s degree in the pharmaceutical field prior to pursuing a career as an artist. This exhibition marks his first solo show in Europe after having previously exhibited in several group shows across the continent, in Africa, and the United States.
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Celebrating their 25th anniversary this year, MARUANI MERCIER is a contemporary art gallery focussing on established American artists from the ‘80s. Representing around twenty artists, they maintained a long-term representation of influential artists such as Ross Bleckner, Francesco Clemente, Peter Halley, Jonathan Lasker, and Sue Williams. Along with its support in the production of their works, we aim to promote the artists by publishing catalogues or monographic documents, by participating in fairs, and above all, by helping with the organization of important museum retrospectives. MARUANI MERCIER is known for setting up museum quality shows, including for Hans Hartung and Man Ray in 2012, Andy Warhol in 2015, Alighiero Boetti in 2016, and again Man Ray in 2018. The gallery’s presence in Belgium, the heart of Europe, through its multiple locations in Brussels, Knokke, as well as The Warehouse in Zaventem, has allowed it to have simultaneous full-scale exhibitions.
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