Inner Circle

A Solo exhibition by Olamide Ogunade Olisco

Daniel Raphael Gallery is excited to present “Inner circle” curated by Tima Jam, a solo exhibition featuring 15 new paintings by Nigerian artist, Olamide Ogunade Olisco, who explores and empowers black identities through his manipulation of artistic media.

This lens into Ogunade Olisco’s personal experiences is an embodiment of the voices of the African diaspora, revealing the ‘hum of utopian dreams and diasporic aspiration’ (Campt, 2017). His art acts as a catalyst to amend the “inferiority complex suffered by Africans” across the world; an outlet for anti-racist activism to interrogate the problematic, hierarchical, western art paradigm.

The artist’s use of painting for this cause speaks further to his wish for social action. Paintings have the fascinating ability to transcend time and space. They paradoxically represent the transitory state of life and the ephemeral presence of the spectator, while remaining in the present, past, and future. Ogunade Olisco conceives the simultaneity of painting as a constant in our transitory contemporary world. The scenes which the artist depicts are vivid and alive, complimented by his bold use of colours on the canvas. This is noted in the work titled Between the Lines (2022), where the top half of a purple vase stands out on the backdrop of a lime green wall. These paintings attest to the finitude and ephemeral quality of everything in life – especially its challenges, pressures, and obstacles.

As the artist captures fleeting moments in his life, his subjects are people around him. Although undeniably depictions of others, these portraits combine the artist’s perception and representation of the persona with self-representation. Mediated through the personal experiences of the artist, scenes of ordinary life become inspiring and empowering. Each piece conveys the strength and resilience which embodies the continent of Africa. Each figure painted reminds their viewer to live with pride and their heads held high.

The way colours are used in these works create a sharp contrast between the figure and their surroundings. Historically, people of colour, especially people of Africa, have been segregated, and continue to suffer prejudice and societal judgement based on their outward appearance. Powerfully, Ogunade Olisco works against this negative conception of the skin and its colour in his works. Defiant, the artist empowers his figures despite their contrast to their surroundings in a way that inspires pride and confidence. The use of vibrant colours and hues in his paintings represents the equally abundant potentials and individuality that Ogunade Olisco believes his home continent possesses. The manner in which the artist masterfully unites contrasting elements on the same canvas both critiques the divisive judgement apparent in our society, and encourages social change to remedy this divide.

“Inner Circle” features 15 new artworks by Ogunade Olisco. Each created in the artist’s signature style. Against vibrant, colourful painted backgrounds are figures of Ogunade Olisco’s contemporary world sketched with charcoal. The completed pieces are decorated with bubbles signifying the transience of life and its troubles. Embodied in this series of works is Ogunade Olisco’s message to the wider world: ‘A message of empowerment, a cry for equality, and a rally for social change that could make this world a better place for people of all colours to live in.’

About the Gallery

The Daniel Raphael Gallery in London is dedicated to emerging Contemporary Art. Founded in 2016 by Daniel Levy, the exhibitions hosted at the gallery aim to be interactive, thought-provoking, and original. The Gallery acts as a platform for an international range of emerging and mid-career artists to establish themselves in the art world whilst focusing on talent that shows uniqueness and high-quality finish.

About the Curator

Tima Jam is an international art consultant, gallerist, art collector, curator, art director, and art writer. Born and raised in Bushehr, Iran, Tima developed a passion for and interest in the arts from an early age, and began her career as a painter before furthering her studies in the history of art. Tima is determined to enhance and expand the contemporary art scene in the Middle East, and founded Bushehr’s very first gallery and institute. The following years, Tima spent her time working and travelling overseas to enrich her experience as a curator and art consultant, whilst gaining valuable cultural exposure wherever she went.

About the Artist

Olamide Ogunade Olisco (b. 1996, Ogun State, Nigeria) studied Fine Art at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, Nigeria. He has exhibited in several group exhibitions in Lagos and Ogun state, and his works have been featured in international group exhibitions, including the Afrika First Exhibition in Luxembourg, and the Stop, Listen group exhibition at CFHILL gallery, Sweden. Ogunade Olisco’s work is in private collections in Burkina Faso, Austria, USA, Germany, France and Sweden.