THE Centre for Contemporary Art, CCA, in Yaba, is currently hosting the touring solo exhibition of Amarachi Okafor, the Abuja-based eclectic painter and performance artist, who is known for her unique style and techniques.
Opened last Saturday, September 11, and showing till September 25, the exhibition with the theme, The Colour of Our Hearts Is the Colour of Our City, is described as “people focused,” and designed to feature as a participatory (with audiences) and performative (by the audience and the artist).
The physical sculpture installation tries to activate to the senses, a city setting with pouches in seating as people living in clusters, on streets, within closed and open walls, said CCA.
“Cities are made and built by people — all the people in it, not just some. Each one of us is a stakeholder and has the ability to affect the overall feel of the city in some capacity or other. The colour of our individual hearts is the colour of the place where we inhabit. Who am I as a person and how am I making my city, community, immediate spaces better or worse because of my presence in it,” stated the artist.
“The Colour of Our Hearts Is the Colour of Our City, 2015-2019 is a relational piece that draws the audience into the work to be part of the piece as it grows with the charge of the audience. My idea with this line of work is also the intent to make audiences consume art by becoming and being part of art, having a stake in the piece, engraving it in their memories through participation and performativity; enlightening as well, audiences that would not ordinarily consume or own art.”
