White Cube Hong Kong Welcomes Deep Dive by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones
An exhibition exploring cultural addition, combination and collaboration.
British Nigerian artist Tunji Adeniyi-Jones takes over the White Cube Hong Kong to present Deep Dive, an exhibition exploring the myth, religion and culture of his own Yoruba heritage through the lens of the contemporary diaspora. By embracing both the similitudes and differences in his diverse nationalities, Adeniyi-Jones’s striking work exudes exploration, transition and potential.
Through an array of oil canvases and delicate lithographs, the New York-based artist distinctively depicts life-size abstract silhouettes in vibrant colors that contrast against a stylized background of foliage inspired by the Black-American physicality of his immediate surroundings. According to the artist, his intricate patterns are motivated by the 19th-century Arts and Crafts movement as well as West African literature, “wherein the jungle often appears as a symbol of exploration, transition and potential.”
With a wide range of African, American and European references, Deep Dive is a vivid celebration of gender-fluid figures positioned against a contemporary, rich cultural landscape. Addressing historical subjects and the perception of the black body through a visual language inspired by Modernism is also deeply embedded in Adeniyi-Jone’s creative practice, which combines “human ingenuity with the natural form to advance a utopian vision.”
Adeniyi-Jones shared: “The bodies and forms depicted in these works can all be derived from the African continent, and more specifically rooted in mythology emanating from the West African coast. The figures in my work are expressions of my identity and there is something very rewarding about using the body as a vehicle for storytelling.”
Deep Dive by Tunji Adeniyi-Jones is on view at the White Cube Hong Kong from March 22 until May 20, 2023.
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