Banjoko presents multidimensional art at AMIAF 2023

By Akintayo Abodunrin 

FRANCE-dependent designer Babatunde Banjoko, whose art in illustration and branding traverses Africa, has been verified as 1 of the collaborating artists at the 2023 ArtMiabo International Art Competition (AMIAF) themed ‘Art of Afrobeats’.

The pageant from April 27 to May perhaps 1 at Ebonylife Location, Victoria Island, Lagos, is an uncommon visual arts pageant focussing on the trajectory of the Afrobeat new music style. At AMIAF, Banjoko, 1 of the designers of Fela’s album handles, publicity elements and band costumes, will celebrate Afrobeat uniquely.

A single of these motivated by the late maverick, Banjoko disclosed that he is “bringing into the ‘Arts of Afrobeat’ festival, the narrative many years of layout collaboration with the late Fela Kuti, who was the precursor of the style that has since long gone global.” He added that whatever glory is currently being celebrated presently about Afrobeats, the genre’s trajectory can’t be denied, which “gave beginning and credence to the Afrobeats derivation. This is factual.”

AMIAF, started by artist and gallerist Miabo Enyadike, exposed the likely in art from Africa throughout its 1st version held at the same location very last 12 months. About 20 artists from throughout Africa and the diaspora appeared at the maiden version.

Other imaginative specialists of Afrobeat qualifications becoming a member of Banjoko this calendar year contain Lemi Ghariokwu, who developed more than 20 album types for Fela, and Ed Keazor, historian and founder of Ikenga Band, which has some Afrobeat artists. Also joining as a distinctive visitor is photographer Bolaji Alonge, whose performs and occupation target on the submit-Fela period but identify with the Afrobeats spirit of artistic dexterity.

Loaded with rather some iconic personalities, AMIAF 2023 is injecting freshness into the Afrobeats concept as artist and brand qualified, Yusuf Durodola oversees the creative administration as curator. When the challenge of managing the artistic information rests on the curator’s shoulder, the world-wide viewpoint to the concept of AMIAF 2023 can be seen through the lens of artists like Banjoko.

As a graphic artist primarily based in Europe, Banjoko has a broad backlink among Afrobeat or Afrobeats new music style and wonderful artwork. “Firstly, I’m a visual artist with several awareness: fantastic-arts, graphics, multimedia design and style, pictures, tapestry, stained glass, and pottery,” Banjoko mentioned. His pool of knowledge, he disclosed, has been derived by learning commonly throughout cultures.

In analysing the website link amongst art and Afrobeat,

Banjoko famous that the richness of Afrobeat music in appears, lyrics and colors influenced different sorts of art that are utilised in conveying a essential information. He extra that the broadness of art, in each wonderful and utilized contexts this kind of “as painting, illustration, layout, graphics, promoting and publicity, trend style and design, cloth building, embroidery, jewellery, shoe fabrication, make-up, costume style, images and scenography, printing,” all are linked to Afrobeat.

For illustration, Banjoko recalled how he introduced his artwork competencies into doing the job with Fela. “Afrobeat popular compositions and moods are included into album handles, designed with blended mediums of expression.”

He also discussed how Afrobeat has affected what he described as his “dynamic ways in rendering some of Fela’s file covers, newspaper adverts, live performance posters, costume design for the woman dancers and designs on some of the Afrobeat legend’s costumes and footwear.”

Banjoko has a transient on his presentations for AMIAF 2023. One of the is effective most probable to function at AMIAF is ‘King Penguins’. There is an engaging, nevertheless quick, provenance about the sculpture. He recalled that three months just before the COVID-19 pandemic, he observed the birds depicted in the course of his travels to the ‘Hog Island Archipelago’, one particular of French’s Southern and Antarctic overseas territories.

And in producing the sculptures, the dynamics of colour and clay came to the fore. “After firing in the oven, this medium of the brown clay alterations from brown to darkish brown,” Banjoko discussed. “Such clay is suitable for producing compact and medium sculpture items as medium brown clay is hugely sought following for its colour transformation.”

He, on the other hand, disclosed that for logistics and appropriate protection issues, he wouldn’t give further facts of what he will be exhibiting at AMIAF 2023. “In Nigeria, our beloved nation, ailments of protection of artworks vary to the controlled disorders in the Western Planet,” Banjoko described. “For confident, Nigeria has a bright long run and is on its way in measuring up to people criteria and come across its rightful area in record.”

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