Bonds Across
Art lecturer and critic, Kunle Filani, admits to being “struck” by the closeness of Mavua Lessor’s works to those of renowned Ghanaian painter, Ablade Glover. Despite this, the lecturer agrees that Lessor has grown into his own on his journey of self-assertion, as evident in his latest exhibition, ‘Bond Across’.
The sixth solo by the artist renowned for his use of impasto, a technique that gives paintings a thick, almost three dimensional texture, ‘Bonds Across’ opened at Terra Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island, Lagos, on October 9. It featured 63 works from the Auchi Polytechnic alumnus.
The body of works, according to Lessor, ponders on art as a connector of humanity.
“I spread [them] out and tried to find a connection between the works and how they relate to life. I saw this universal appeal that goes across all human occupation. It doesn’t matter what vocation you have; we all go through the same experiences, so that inspired the title.
“Part of the success of art is about experimenting. When you use a particular medium for a long time, boredom sets in, so you begin to look for new media to use. It’s not about the audience now, it’s about self-satisfaction. That is why it is important to start looking for new medium to work with,” Lessor says.
The painter, who also believes that using a new medium does not change one’s style, sheds more light on his experimentations.
“I tried materials like enamel, which artists don’t normally use, which is something interesting in my works. There is also a new technique I apply in some of my works called drip crease, where I allow the colours to drip down the canvas. As time goes on, I hope to perfect this new style.”
Lessor uses his paint brush to discuss the challenges of living in a city like Lagos, in works like ‘25 Litres’, which depicts the long queues seen at filling stations during fuel scarcity. He also addresses the lack of water in some parts of the city, with ‘Water Vendor’; and the daily struggle for survival (‘Scavengers’ and ‘Battling Poverty’).
The renewal projects being undertaken by the Lagos State government are not left out in his painterly exercise, as seen in works like ‘Before Fashola’, where he gives the viewer the old Oshodi. The Fashola administration’s drive to further develop the city is depicted in ‘Mega City’.
Lessor documents the everyday life of Lagosians and peculiarities of the city with pieces like the ‘Everyday’ series, ‘Highest Bidder’, and ‘Human Habitat’. ‘The Sun Waters and the Settlers’ that depicts the high population through scenic views of the city’s skylines and rooftops, is also included.
The artist becomes a social advocate in ‘Abusing the Girl Child’, ‘Educating the Girl Child’, and ‘Abuse of Innocence’.
Images from his memory of places visited or desires to visit, come to play in oil paintings, namely ‘Yellow Stone’ and ‘Memories of Arizona’. Some other works have themes that centre on motherhood, leadership, and beauty.
Born in Warri, Delta State, in 1960, Lessor obtained a Higher National Diploma in Painting from Auchi Polytechnic in 1986. He had his first solo exhibition in 1998 and has been having exhibitions biannually since.
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