Affinity Gallery
Things Left Unsaid
Dates: 18th June, 2023 - 22nd July 2023
Venue: Unit 2, 1-7 Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island
An immersive exhibition that delves into the inherent human longing to be truly seen, understood, and acknowledged. It serves as a profound reflection on the consequences of our failure to engage in introspection and ask vital questions of ourselves and society. Viewers are invited to embark on a transformative journey of observation, introspection, and departure, taking away a profound and meaningful experience.
Artist Statement, Emmanuel Unaji:
The eyes are the windows to the soul and my ubiquitous inquiry explores the modern lens in which we perceive reality by refracting aspects of select figures in time using the “JoHari’s window” model. The Johari Window is a framework for understanding conscious and unconscious bias that can help increase self-awareness and our understanding of others. It is the creation of two psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, who named the model by combining their first names.
The visual crux of my practice emerges from the cultural appropriation of Pablo Picasso’s seismic collision with African masks. My signature fragmented faces are an ode to cubism which also highlight a silent conversation between European masters and African sculptural aesthetics. My style illuminates the influence of African traditions on European conceptions of our modern-day world. The series celebrates the visible integration of cultural exchange into a globalized world. These works offer glances into my personal perspective on characters I have observed on my journey, and how they have influenced how I navigate through modern society. Individuals who come as one, but stand as ten thousand, expanding the mind and souls of the audience through their respective mediums of fashion and music
