By Henry Akubuiro
Highway Preachers, the first solo exhibition by multidisciplinary Ghanaian-Nigerian artist, Diseye Tantua, has kicked off at the upscale Alexis Galleries, 282, Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Building on Tantua’s practice of exploring communication through inscriptions found on transit buses and documentation of this trend, Highway Preachers is a continuation of Look and Laugh, his 2009 exhibition.
The artist’s metaphorical themes, explained the curator, Ugonna Ibe, express a cultural connection between Nigeria and Ghana, serving as both a memorialisation of culture and a medium for communication. The exhibition runs through April 24, 2022.
Over the years, Tantua has developed a predilection for Afrocentric interpretation of pop art, limning graphic symbols, bold colours and expressive text. His work explores themes of communication, spirituality and nostalgia. He also draws upon experiences from his childhood in both Ghana and Nigeria, observing the passages, proverbs and commandments written on commercial cars, trucks, and buses known as ‘tro-tro’ in Ghana and ‘bolekaja’ in Nigeria —a practice commonly thought to have originated with the early missionaries, who, reportedly, moved with their buses (on which were boldly inscribed the word “MISSIONARY”) from one community to another.
The artist told newsmen during the preview: “Many times, we see these buses on the streets and they are serious billboards because of the slogans on them.”
Tracing the experimental basis of the inscriptions, he noted: “For instance, if a wife does bad thing to her husband, you will see write-ups like, ‘No money, No Wife’; ‘No money no Honey’, ‘After God fear Woman’, among others, which are experiences of the drivers, and they put them on the buses.”
Fascinated by these slogans, which have evolved to include personalised and often humorous indigenous vernacular messages, the artist recognised the power and impact they have in educating and communicating, and began to record these trends on his canvas, documenting them for posterity and directing our attention to the messages.
Beside his artistic practice, Tantua is dedicated to promoting the cultural landscape, and has founded D-Artist SHRINE, a space dedicated to the arts in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He is currently its creative director.
‘Artists & Studios, Nigeria and Ghana’, his ongoing project, is conceived as a touring exhibition, video documentary and coffee table book. Recently featured as one of the top designers/ product designers in a documentary ‘MADE BY DESIGN’ (episode eleven) on Netflix international, he has also appeared on CNN Africa Avant-Garde and Reuters News, among others.
In Highway Preachers, the works of acrylic on canvas and oil on canvas, featuring hastily sketched lines and quick brush strokes, depict forms of transit and movement. In contrast to the vibrant and saturated colours found in the Look & Laugh (2009), Tantua introduces works in neutral tones, monochrome blues, black and grey.
The themes of faith and optimism are still evident in this body of work as Tantua includes aeroplanes with titles such as I Have A Dream & No Time To Dream Small. In works like V.I.P, the imagery has been expanded to include other social groups in an attempt to deepen the message and further the discussion.
The curator, Ibe, added, “The brilliance of Diseye Tantua’s works is its presentation of complex societal issues in a style that allows the audience to engage within their capacity. Collectively, these 12 works speak to Tantua’s role as a storyteller and his pursuit of communicating deep messages and contributing to the strengthening of the social fabric.”
As a painter, Tantua’s strong personal style can be understood as an Afrocentric interpretation of pop art, complete with indigenous proverbs inscribed in vernacular. He has won many awards and his works can be found in significant collections all over the world.
He is also a well- known male fashion model for several major brands, as well as an influencer. Self-styled as an “experimentalist”, his brand name ‘D-ARTIST’ is aimed at defining himself simply as an artist while resisting strict compartmentalising as a fashionista, interior/ product designer, painter, sculptor or graphic artist.
Recently featured as one of the top designers/ product designers in a documentary ‘MADE BY DESIGN’ (episode eleven) on Netflix international, he has also appeared on CNN Africa Avant-Garde and Reuters News, among others.
Alexis Galleries founder, Patty Chidiac-Mastrogiannis, is grateful to sponsorship provided by Lipton Ice Tea, Pepsi, Tiger, Indomie, Mikano, The Guardian, Wazobia TV, Cool FM, Aina Blankson, AMG Logistics, Art Cafe, UPS, Rentokil-Boecker, Cobranet, Haier Thermocool, Cobranet, Lost in a City.
Alexis Galleries is also adopting WARIF (Women at Risk International Foundation) as a non profit foundation to give back to the society.