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Vibrant colors expertly mixed with mastered brush techniques to
form structural symbiosis. At first glance, the structures appear to be
plain to the viewer. But getting nearer, the viewer would be captivated
by micro elevations, dots, circles, ovals, right angles, triangles, and
other more or less geometrical shapes artistically merged with faces or
masks to create unique art works on canvas. The artist that creates
these fantastic blends of abstract and naturalistic works is Chidi
Kwubiri, a Nigerian based in Germany. Afritopic visited the
Artist at his home in Pulheim while he was preparing for his next
exhibition and was flabbergasted.
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Chidi has been drawing and painting since his childhood
in Umahia, Southeastern Nigeria. All he wanted to be is a fine artist.
At school, he devoted his time and energy to learning the basic
principles of perspective, still life and figurative drawings. While
being influenced by some of the renowned Nigerian fine artists, he
systematically developed his own style. In Umuahia, the young artist was
becoming popular. However, it was not until Chidi came to Germany that
he realized how much art works are being appreciated. |
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| He decided to study fine arts and optioned for one of
the best fine arts universities in Germany, the Arts Academy of
Duesseldorf. According to Chidi, 'It is very tough to gain admission
to the academy. The fine arts department receives hundreds of
applications with portfolios of art works each year. Through rigorous
selection processes, less than 40 highly talented students are finally
admitted'. Chidi was of course selected in 1993 to study in the class
of late Prof. Michael Buthe and Prof. A.R. Penck. The fine arts class
was multicultural. Apart from German students, there were students from
other parts of the world including Asia and the Caribbean. |
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Chidi
Kwubiri
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Chidi
was highly motivated. He experimented with diverse materials and
painting techniques including the European styles but never neglected
his focus on African impressions. He combined his natural talent, hard
work and love of fine arts to stand out from the rest of very good
students and earn the title 'Meisterschueler' (exceptional
student) of Prof. A.R. Penck in 1998. Chidi started participating in
exhibitions as a student and by May 1996, he has won four arts prizes
including three 1st Prizes. Art galleries started taking
notice of him and articles about his paintings were published in the
local newspapers. Chidi took on commissioned works including one by the
Nigerian embassy in Germany.
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By
the time he completed his studies in 2002, Chidi had already displayed
his art works in over 30 exhibitions in Europe and the US and secured
his place in the German arts scene. In cooperation with galleries, he is
now building up his image within the international fine artists'
community as a prolific, creative and exceptionally talented fine artist
of African descent.
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For those of us interested in arts and the arts
critiques, there is usually the tendency to analyze works of art. In
Chidi's paintings, the pure bright colors reminds of the colourful
traditional attires and the blue sky ever present in most parts of
Africa. The faces or masks are characteristically found in every part of
Nigeria, particularly in Western and Southeastern Nigeria. The masks in
Chidi's paintings seem to relate closely to some of the numerous masks
used by the Igbo people for ceremonies, festivities and diverse rituals.
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| The elongated heads of the masks are in many cases
embedded with elaborate fine designs. In some cases the designs are
reduced to minimum. The elongated heads with elaborate designs could be
imagined to depict African women with decorated hairstyles. Hairstyling
has always been a focal point of beauty especially for women in almost
all parts of Africa. In the early days, African women molded their hair
into beautiful shapes using fat, oil or clay. |
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| The hair was then decorated with
ornaments made from natural materials. This tradition is part of the
African cultural lifestyle. In recent times, refined products have
replaced fat, oil and clay and diverse materials are available as
ornaments. The elongated heads with little or no design could depict
African men wearing typical headgears. Depending on the status of the
person, the ornamental works integrated into the headgear range from
sophisticated to simple. In Chidi's paintings, the combination of
radiant colors, masks and complex structural effects with brush strokes
creates such a dynamic that the viewer is taken in trance to the middle
of a festival in Africa. The viewer starts hearing drumbeats and feeling
the heat. Athletic figures wearing masks emerge dancing eclectically to
the electrifying rhythm. Then, beautiful women appear in graceful steps
displaying their ornamented hairstyles. The viewer is mesmerized but
fully aware of the magical scene.
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| Elements of African culture could
be extracted from all Chidi's art works. In some of his works, the
abstract objects are more or less arranged in a circle or semi-circle
around a central figure. One could imagine an elderly person narrating
fairy tale to children and the young ones. This is a common tradition in
Africa, particularly in the villages and rural areas. The local history,
stories, fairy tales, wisdom, ritual procedures and guidelines are
passed on to the next generation by word of mouth. In the evenings,
children and youngsters gather around an elderly person, who is a
talented narrator and has a good knowledge of the stories and
traditions. In most cases, the stories aim to teach the differences
between good and bad as well as promote social competences. The
paintings seem to communicate this tradition in an abstract but form.
But the the viewer is left with his/her own imagination.
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position holding a stock. The posture indicates a man in a relatively
powerful position. In the context of African village environment, the
figure may represent a family man that is respected in the village and
whose advice is sought after. The painting thus presents organizational
hierarchy aspect of a village community or the position of a man within
the family. |
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| The
Art Works> |
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| A couple of the figurative paintings show a person with
both hands covering the face or over the head. In Africa, this posture
generally depicts a person in sorrow or somebody that has just
experienced a sorrowful incident. The paintings could be interpreted as
pointers to the sadness and agony of the deprived on the continent. The
expressions on the faces capture the transition from lively human to the
masked spirits in the world of agony. In these paintings, Chidi
brilliantly apply brush and spatula techniques to create sculptural
effects. |
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| Many fine artist of world acclaim
initially start drawing and painting in naturalistic styles before
developing their own styles. Chidi proves his talent as a fine artist
beyond every doubt in his painting of a girl leaning on the wall.
Comparing this earlier painting to the recent abstract ones, one could
see how Chidi has evolved from naturalistic to abstract and
expressionistic styles. He has combined the basic components of European
painting styles, the elements of African tradition and his own unique
talent to create art works that could compete with the best on the
international modern arts collectors market.
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| Chidi does not constrain himself to
pure painting. He uses diverse unconventional materials to create
abstract collages. He is constantly looking for methods to create
innovative works of art. And he never relents in his efforts. While most
artists participate in an average of 2 exhibitions in a year, Chidi
takes part in an average of 5 exhibitions per year. In each exhibition,
he presents new works of high imagination. The art works are composed in
ways that allow for individual opinions and interpretations. The viewer
becomes curious and willing to initiate dialog with fellow arts lovers
or with the artist. This impact on the viewer finally proves that
Chidi's art works are indisputably of high quality and at least
interesting as well as worth debating.
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| Afritopic
2004 |
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