As we selected works for this exhibition at our Residence in Abuja, Leigh and I were inspired by the notion of unity. The United States and Nigeria have much in common, most notably the rich ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity of our peoples. We chose works of art that, to us, suggest that a unity of vision and purpose is possible—one that celebrates diversity and contributes to making both countries dynamic, open societies.
Several large, striking artworks appear to be monolithic from a distance, but upon closer inspection, different threads, shapes, and colors contribute to the total impact of the work. Imal Silva’s Harmattan’s Romance and George Edwin Chaplin’s Sunlit Orange Environment, for example, are not merely to be viewed but also explored for their intricacies. As guests arrive at the Residence for official gatherings and discussions, we hope these works will inspire open-mindedness, intuition, and reflection. Read More
– Roland Albert Brener –
Painter and sculptor Roland Albert Brener’s early artworks contained strong conceptual elements that derived inspiration from music, literature, politics, and African and Latin American culture. Later, Brener incorporated consumer items and experimented with kinetic sculpture driven by electronic motors and computers. Using the computer as a design tool, he produced fantastical distortions of digital images and everyday objects that were eventually fabricated in wood and synthetic materials. “My hope is that all my art, whatever medium, expresses a feeling of common humanity towards others,” Brener said. Read More
Steele Burrow specializes in landscape, editorial, and travel photography. Burrow developed his creative process during travels with his archaeologist father, who would photograph historic sites of the American Southwest. The Lincoln (Washington, D.C.) is one of many photographs that achieve a sense of place and timeless quality, immersing the viewer in the scale and grandeur of a national monument among a wintry landscape. Read More
– Trisha de Borchgrave –
Trisha de Borchgrave specializes in acrylic on canvas, ink on board, and oil. She is deeply inspired by the natural beauty of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, which she sees as miraculous gifts from the earth. “I still cannot quite believe that the complexity and variety of color, form, and taste in earth’s offerings are real, and I challenge anyone to pick an apricot or almond off a tree or pull at a hidden carrot and not feel that a spiritual presence has been there first, distributing these perpetual gifts to us: health, nourishment, and beauty on tap [at] our disposal for being a member of this planet.” De Borchgrave also writes on politics and lifestyle at the HuffPost, Arab News, and the Independent.
– George Edwin Chaplin –
George Edwin Chaplin investigates the emotional effect and meditative, poetic qualities of color in his oeuvre. His trademark style involves large-scale horizontal works that create the illusion of an expansive horizon. Chaplin applies oil paint across massive areas of the canvas, then uses a large paint scraper to blend it. “I see color as light and atmosphere and celebrate it for its emotional impact and beauty,” he says. “The changeable nature of color, both intrinsically and from external conditions, fascinates me, and I am particularly involved in how it can appear to alternately expand and contract.”
Virginia Koch’s subjects often feature farm animals, rural landscapes, and floral displays. Her unique color palette softens her art, as though viewed from behind a veil of grayed light. Similar to historical portraits, she includes attributes like flowers, fruit, or objects in the composition to add depth to her storytelling. The tonal quality of Koch’s paintings relaxes the eye and evokes sense of quiet in the late day or early morning. Read More
Synthia Saint James is a self-taught artist known for her paintings and prints that honor diverse racial and ethnic identities, particularly those of the African diaspora. Her figures are composed of simplified, geometric forms and bright, highly saturated colors. Inspired by the vibrant marketplaces of Martinique, Saint James challenged herself to paint groups of people without facial features, emphasizing posture and clothing styles to identify their cultural heritage. She credits her family for her creative ambition.
Born in Los Angeles, Saint James’s work has been featured on more than fifty book covers, including those by celebrated authors Alice Walker and Terry McMillan. She has completed commissions for major corporations, nonprofit organizations, and individual collectors, including the House of Seagram, the Los Angeles Women’s Foundation, UNICEF, and the Girl Scouts of America.
– Don Resnick –
Don Resnick was a landscape painter enchanted by the beauty and magnificence of Long Island, New York’s terrain, sea, and sky. Resnick would sketch and draw from nature, but he never painted outdoors. Depicted with loose brushwork and “watercolor-like lucidity,” his luminous paintings sought to communicate his vision of the environment. “The inspiration for my paintings is the intense experience of a place—its particular light, its particular space—at a unique moment in time,” he said.
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– Helen Zughaib –
“I am interested in telling stories about people. I am interested in providing another way to look at the world through my works,” said Helen Zughaib, whose practice expresses themes of displacement and acceptance. Drawing on her Middle Eastern heritage, Zughaib uses bold colors and patterns, as well as distinctive shapes and scenes that depict the plight of migrants, immigrants, and refugees “to give voice to the voiceless, to heal, and to reflect in our shared humanity.” Read More
Artist and lecturer Adiwu Talatu Onkala explores nature, art education, and contemporary art practices in her work. Part of a series of drawings of the same name, Elements of Patriarchy No. 1 provides a profound visual critique of the patriarchy’s pervasive and oppressive influence in Nigerian society. Each artwork in the series, numbered one to three, employs a rich array of symbolic motifs and textures that reveal the grip of patriarchal norms. Drawn from traditional male garb representative of several Nigerian regions, the motifs are deliberately spread to cover the entire composition, depicting how deeply rooted and far-reaching these customs of male privilege are within Nigerian society.
Imal Silva is a multidisciplinary artist, creative entrepreneur, adjunct lecturer, and creative policy expert active in Abuja. Silva explores the subjects of human nature, development, and sustainability through abstract contemporary art, using acrylic, oil, and mixed techniques on canvas and installation. His multicultural background—spanning Sri Lanka and Nigeria—informs his artistic vision and work, reflecting the experiences of migrants and multicultural individuals.
