Ibe Ananaba // Radiance

RADIANCE is an exploration of resilience, cultural memory, and the bold presence of Afro-diasporic identity in contemporary life. The works interrogate sociocultural dynamics, translating histories, lived experience, and collective memory into visual narratives that affirm strength, perseverance, and dignity. Across experimental drawing, painting, and mixed media, I use material experimentation, specifically with palette knife, colour layering, negative space, and textured surfaces, as both a conceptual strategy and a sensory practice, where creation becomes a space of reflection, discovery, and affirmation.

In BARS OF HONOUR, I reclaim horizontal stripes historically associated with marginality during the Medieval era in Europe, transforming them into visual symbols of pride and cultural affirmation inspired by the Tiv people’s A’nger fabric tradition in Nigeria. Figures emerge without any preliminary sketches from negative space, asserting presence against historical erasure. The series navigates abstraction and figuration, rhythm and minimalism, establishing a visual language of resilience and reclamation.

COME RAIN OR SUNSHINE centers survival, hope, and adaptability in diasporic contexts, portraying figures navigating uncertainty with perseverance, courage, and an unyielding spirit. Set against contrasting backgrounds symbolizing different worlds, the works illuminate the inner fortitude required to sustain identity and dignity across borders and experiences.

CAST YOUR V,000,000:TE, a visual satire, examines systemic political corruption and the moral negotiation of civic agency. Layered in semi-abstract compositions, it draws from the election posters the clad the streets during political campaigns, where figures and symbols oscillate between clarity and ambiguity. The series affirms the intelligence, dignity, and vigilance of electorates and communities rendered vulnerable by systemic structures, transforming sociopolitical critique into a contemplative visual dialogue on ethics, agency, and collective responsibility.

With the global impact of Afro-pop culture, TAKE ME THERE channels its ecstatic, contagious energy as a unifying and celebratory force—using rhythm, movement, and vibrant expression to convey joy, belonging, and the transformative power of shared cultural experience.

Across this exhibition, RADIANCE is an assertion of the dynamic, brave and unbroken spirit of the Afro-diasporic identity. The show demonstrates how art reflects, critiques, and celebrates lived experience, inviting audiences into a space of contemplation, dialogue, and recognition. Through experimentation, sensory engagement, and rigorous inquiry, the body of work affirms enduring Black strength, the vitality of cultural memory, and the universal pursuit of dignity, creativity, and collective reflection.

— Ibe Ananaba