EXHIBITIONS

Dr Ayobola Kekere-Ekun returns to Cape Town with 'Terrains of Memory' exhibition

3 min read
Her return to exhibit in association with Absa L’Atelier Art is another milestone not only for her but also for Absa L’Atelier Art while celebrating forty years of opening doors.
Her return to exhibit in association with Absa L’Atelier Art is another milestone not only for her but also for Absa L’Atelier Art while celebrating forty years of opening doors.Picture: Supplied

Nigerian contemporary artist Dr. Ayobola “Zak” Kekere-Ekun has returned to Cape Town with Terrains of Memory, a new exhibition exploring memory, emotion and the experiences that shape our lives.

The exhibition opened at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery this August and runs until  September 26. 

Kekere-Ekun, who was born and raised in Lagos and now lives and works in South Africa, was the 2021 Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador winner. She works predominantly with quilling and fabric-based sculptural paintings, using materials to explore how memory, movement and emotion can be captured in physical form.

For Terrains of Memory, fabric becomes a way of processing and expressing personal experiences.

“As I fold fabric, it becomes an expression on its own of emotions, memories of a turbulent time,” Kekere-Ekun says.

The exhibition also marks her return to exhibiting in association with Absa L’Atelier Art following her 2022 joint exhibition, Refuge: an uncommon home, which came after her 2021 award.

The exhibition of ‘Terrains of Memory’ comes at the most opportune time as Absa L’Atelier Art celebrates forty years of opening doors to African artists who have a powerful narrative to share and relatable experiences to relay in their art.
The exhibition of ‘Terrains of Memory’ comes at the most opportune time as Absa L’Atelier Art celebrates forty years of opening doors to African artists who have a powerful narrative to share and relatable experiences to relay in their art. Picture: Supplied

Speaking at the opening, Kekere-Ekun said the opportunity to share the work publicly has been significant.

“I feel grateful to be at a point where I can not only make the work I have made but also share it publicly. It has been a long road, and I am glad that I am here.”

She describes Terrains of Memory as a particularly vulnerable body of work, saying she did not expect the exhibition to affect her in that way.

"I actually feel quite vulnerable, which I did not expect.”

The response from visitors has also changed the way she sees the exhibition. “From conversations I have had with people who have seen the show, they seem to really understand and relate to the themes I was trying to explore in a deeply personal way.”

For Kekere-Ekun, that connection has turned the exhibition into something larger than a personal story.“I think the show is morphing into a bit of a collective memoir, one viewing at a time,” she says.

For 'Terrains of Memory', fabric becomes a way of processing and expressing personal experiences.
For 'Terrains of Memory', fabric becomes a way of processing and expressing personal experiences. Picture: Supplied

The exhibition forms part of a milestone year for Absa L’Atelier Art, which is celebrating 40 years of supporting African artists and creating opportunities for emerging talent.

Absa Group senior art and museum curator Dr Paul Bayliss said Kekere-Ekun’s exhibition reflects the importance of creating space for artists to explore complex emotions.

“What Dr. Ayobola has done with this exhibition is that she has shown art lovers and others that no emotion is too big or too complex to hold to yourself. We are proud of Dr. Ayobola and cannot wait to see what she will do next.”

Kekere-Ekun’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at House of Fine Art in London, JACAA in Yokohama, Art021 in Shanghai, UTA Artist Space in Los Angeles and Arte Fiera in Bologna.

Her first solo exhibition, Resilient Lines, was held at Rele Gallery in Lagos in 2019 and was supported by a grant from the Dean Collection, founded by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz.

Exhibition details

Terrains of Memory

Artist: Dr. Ayobola “Zak” Kekere-Ekun

Venue: AVA Gallery, Cape Town

Dates: until September 26

Entry: Free

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