SAATCHI GALLERY TO PRESENT NEW WORKS BY NIGERIAN TEXTILE ARTIST SAMUEL NNOROM IN MULTITUDE OR MINORITY
Saatchi Gallery, M&C Saatchi Group and Tiwani Contemporary are pleased to present a solo exhibition of works by emerging Nigerian artist Samuel Nnorom, inaugural winner of the M&C Saatchi Group Art for Change Prize in 2022. Featuring new works that have not yet been exhibited in the UK, MULTITUDE OR MINORITY will be open at Saatchi Gallery from 19 October to 24 November, 2024.
Nnorom’s sculptures are visual metaphors made from offcuts of Ankara fabric, the wax-printed cloth now synonymous with African textiles. Fabrics to him evoke a sense of social structure or organisation that interlaces humanity into society. However, when referring to the “fabric of society” or “social fabric,” it refers to the weft and warp interlace of values, traditions, behaviours, identities, religions, and heritage of the human society. This is unique to different societies, as he contemplates on universal identity, socio-political structures, consumerism, industrialisation, and colonial remnants. Nnorom’s use of the salvaged fabric forms a critical observation around artisanal provenance, and the impact of global trade on unified geographical identity
The forms within his work are inspired by bubbles: entities that emerge, momentarily capturing air until they burst and disappear. He is interested in the expansion and movement of bubble formations and how their characteristics might speak to moments of suspension, tension and adaptation. He works industriously to weave, roll, assemble, stich and sew together constellations of bubbles, bindles, and ribboned strips, reinterpreting the bubble as a tangible manifestation of collective survival, connection, and aspiration.
This exhibition is kindly supported by Tiwani Contemporary and M&C Saatchi Group.
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About Samuel Nnorom
Samuel Nnorom (b. 1990) is a multi-award-winning Nigerian artist whose work poetically crosses tapestry-like sculpture and pre-loved Ankara wax fabric. Currently living and working in Nsukka, Nnorom holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Nigeria, UNN Nsuka. He has run numerous workshops and undertaken residencies in England, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nigeria. Recent solo exhibitions include Emotional Catch, Tiwani Contemporary (Lagos, Nigeria) 2023; Truth and Conspiracy, Primo Marella Gallery (Milan, Italy) 2023; Points of Departure, Galerie Art Mûr 5826 (Canada) 2023; Politics of Clothes, The Mitochondria Gallery (Houston TX, USA) 2023; Politics of Fabrics, The Guest Artist Space G.A.S., Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Lagos, Nigeria) 2023. Nnorom is the global prize winner of the Art for Change Prize 2022, organised by M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery.
About Tiwani Contemporary
Founded in London in 2011 by Maria Varnava, Tiwani Contemporary’s primary mission is to represent artists from Africa and its global diaspora. Varnava, who grew up in Lagos, established Tiwani Contemporary with the encouragement of her friend and mentor, renowned Nigerian international curator, Bisi Silva (1962- 2019). Silva proposed the name Tiwani, which loosely translates as “ours” or “it belongs to us” from the Yoruba language. Tiwani Contemporary is a global leader in the representation of visual arts practice from contemporary Africa and its diaspora. In 2022 the gallery expanded to its second location in Lagos, Nigeria and in 2023 moved to its new permanent gallery space in Mayfair. www.tiwani.co.uk
About M&C Saatchi Group
M&C Saatchi Group is a creative solutions company that connects specialist expertise, fuelled by data and technology, to create beautifully simple solutions for an increasingly complex world. We do this with capabilities that stretch across the entire digital landscape and customer journey. The Group operates across five core specialisms: Advertising, Consulting, Issues, Passions & PR, and Media. Headquartered in London, our operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East, Africa and APAC. M&C Saatchi was founded on the philosophy of Brutal Simplicity of Thought, which to this day guides every area of our business – from how we operate internally, to the creative work we produce for our clients. www.mcsaatchi.com
About Saatchi Gallery
Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts thousands of school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a registered charity, beginning a new chapter in its history.
NOTES TO EDITORS
For all press enquiries, please contact +44 (0) 20 7811 3091, or:
Niamh Elain, Marketing & Press Executive, niamh.e@saatchigallery.com
Amelia Okell, Head of Communications, amelia@saatchigallery.com
Dates
19th October – 24th November 2024.
Admission
Free Entry. Pre-booking is not required.
Spaces
Located on the ground floor in Gallery 3.
Images
Press images are available by request at the contact details above. By using the images, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions found on our website. These images can only be reproduced to illustrate a review or criticism of a work or report as defined by section 30 (i) and (ii) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
Social Media
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