Kingsley Ayogu: If Hives Could Dance in Colors

African Artists’ Foundation presents If Hives Could Dance in Colors, the solo exhibition of nigerian artist Kingsley Ayogu.
His solo show in Lagos, Nigeria, explores themes of release, freedom, identity, and visibility through a vibrant series of mixed media artworks.

Lagos-based African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), in collaboration with SOTO Gallery, announces If Hives Could Dance in Colors, a solo exhibition by renowned Nigerian artist Kingsley Ayogu, curated by Princess Ayoola. Opening on August 24, 2024, at the SOTO Gallery Space in Lagos, this exhibition marks a pivotal moment in Kingsley’s artistic evolution. Known for his meticulous hyper-realistic portraits, Kingsley now embarks on a journey beyond technical mastery, embracing new materials and techniques to explore themes of release, freedom, and self-expression.

In If Hives Could Dance in Colors, Kingsley draws inspiration from the metaphor of the hive—an emblem of order and industriousness that also signifies confinement. This series bursts open the hive, revealing a vibrant dance of colors and textures that symbolize the artist’s liberation from convention. Through the introduction of sponges, nets, and layered textures, Kingsley’s work challenges viewers to engage more deeply, moving beyond passive observation to a participatory experience that resonates with the themes of love, care, and visibility.

At the crux of Ayogu’s work is a rewriting of the history of Africa that includes its sons and daughters in the diaspora and the collective ideas that connect these multifarious histories to an awakening of a renewed consciousness. Recently, Ayogu has been experimenting with nets in what he calls the Harmonization of Painting, creating a feel-good sensation that celebrates identity, fragility, and resilience. His work has been featured in significant exhibitions, including Dig Where You Stand, and he was a finalist for the ART X Lagos Prize in 2022. Ayogu lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.

sotogallery.org