Emma Prempeh Captures ‘Belonging’ in Flux at Tiwani Contemporary

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Starting off its 2025 exhibition lineup, Tiwani Contemporary in Lagos presents “Belonging In-Between,” a solo exhibit featuring works by Emma Prempeh. This young artist, at only 28 years old, has already left an impact with her unique, vibrant impressionistic pieces. Following the news of her participation in Pharrell Williams’ upcoming “Femmes” exhibition in Paris, this showcase is set to highlight her talents.

In the game of life, I found myself immersed in “Belonging In-Between,” where Prempeh skillfully chronicled my mom’s return to St. Vincent, four long decades after her journey to London. This homecoming was more than just a visit; it was an emotional meeting with the locales that molded my mother’s youthful years, stirring in me a broader introspection on matrilineage and the tales that bind our family together.

The core of this exhibition revolves around, as the gallery describes, “Prempeh’s exploration of what ‘home’ or ‘belonging’ signifies for someone in the diaspora.” With personal ties spanning Uganda, Ghana, the Caribbean, and the United Kingdom, the artist navigates the intricate and often perplexing nuances of identity and belonging, which are fundamental, yet elusive, and at times, deeply confounding.

This journey delves into a collection of vivid, film-like pieces, blending figures, rooms, and greenery seamlessly together. The artworks feature flecks of gold leaf from schlag metal, mimicking the ever-changing, mutable nature of memories – shifting, corroding, and evolving with every second that passes.

The exhibition is now on view through May 24, 2025.

Tiwani Contemporary
13 Elsie Femi Pearse St,
Victoria Island, Lagos 106104,
Lagos, Nigeria

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2025-03-10 19:56