Victor Ekpuk
Victor Ekpuk, Afternoon With Lorenzo, 2017, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 132 in (182.88 x 335.28 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Girl Dancing in a Circle, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 in (127 x 152.4 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Oracle, 2014-22, Acrylic and glass on canvas, 72 x 48 in (182.88 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Tête à Tête 1, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Tête à Tête 2, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, She said, He said, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 in (121.92 x 91.44 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, The Voice in Matanzas 2, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 in (121.92 x 91.44 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, This American, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Woman Bathing in the Moonlight, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Matriarch 2, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Embrace, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.92 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Liberian Girl, 2022, Acrylic and collage on paper, 30 x 22 in (76.2 x 55.88 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Lady in Sunday Dress, 2022, Acrylic and collage on paper, 30 x 22 in (76.2 x 55.88 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Scape Goat, 2007, Acrylic and inkjet on rag paper, 54 x 43 in (137.16 x 109.22 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Life in Hand, 2017, Ink and pastel on paper, 44 x 43 in (111.76 x 109.22 cm)
Victor Ekpuk, Mask, 2022, Hand painted steel, 35.5 x 23 x 8 in (90.17 x 58.42 x 20.32 cm), ed. 2/8
Victor Ekpuk, Head, 2022, Hand painted steel, 35.5 x 23 x 8 in (90.17 x 58.42 x 20.32 cm), ed. 2/8
Victor Ekpuk, Ibibio girl, 2022, Hand painted steel, 35.5 x 23 x 8 in (90.17 x 58.42 x 20.32 cm), ed. 2/8
Aicon is proud to present I am My Ancestor’s Essence, the gallery’s second solo exhibition of Nigerian-American artist Victor Ekpuk. The show, a series of portraits in contemporary dialogue with African ancestral objects, comprises three distinct bodies of work: canvases that incorporate thick impasto paint layering, a suite of drawings that offer early examples of the artist’s mark-making, and ambitious large-scale totemic sculptures. Through I am My Ancestor’s Essence, the artist locates the past in the present by contemporizing sacred objects. In his own words:
“I chose these objects based on my cultural affiliation to them, the spiritual essence they exude, and the aesthetics of their forms. I believe our identities are the sum of our past and present memories informed by traditions and genetics. As I study the aesthetics of these objects, these portraits are perhaps a search for the essence of ourselves.”
Ekpuk is known for work that engages a diverse spectrum of meaning, often mining historical narratives, the contemporary African diaspora, and humanity’s connection to the sacred. With I am My Ancestor’s Essence, the artist looks to artifacts and colonial-era photographs to guide his reimagined figures layered over intricate backdrops of symbols. These images as text draw the viewer into a participatory relationship with the works, demanding a close look to parse out clues to a more profound meaning.
Installation photography by Sebastian Bach
The impressive side by side solo exhibitions work together, not apart. A love of deep color isn't all the artists have in common at Aicon.
A short video detailing the making of Afternoon with Lorenzo featured in the exhibition I am My Ancestor's Essence.