Marcellina Akpojotor

Rele Gallery, Los Angeles/Lagos

Private collection, USA

Acquired from the above by the present owner

Los Angeles/Lagos, Rele Gallery, 2018

Born in Lagos, Akpojotor draws inspiration from her cultural heritage, infusing her works with elements of Yoruba folklore and symbolism. Her mastery of mixed media techniques, including collage and painting, results in visually dynamic compositions that explore themes of identity, womanhood, and societal norms. The present lot exemplifies this technique, with a wax-print cloth appliqued to the figure which makes up the majority of the composition. The figure itself is a reference to Idia, a legendary Queen Mother of the great precolonial city-state of Benin. Akpojotor appears to have modelled her figure after the brass head of Idia which is part of the British Museum's collection of brass works from Benin. By reifying elements of precolonial visual culture in an act of synthesis with the textiles, which themselves are a quintessential part of West African sartorial and visual culture, Akpojotor merges disparate periods of Nigerian culture within one compelling composition. Akpojotor has participated in prominent art fairs across the world including Art Basel Miami Beach (2021) FNB Art Joburg (2019), Art Dubai (2020) and the LA Art Show (2020).