Berlin, Germany based Nigerian artist, Emmanuel Eni, aka Black Man in European Kitchen, who embraced arts at the age of six is back with his two-month long art show, The Art Merchant II Salon, which will start on Tuesday, April 28 and run through May 5, 2015, in Lagos. The maverick artist and social campaigner, whose work, Death Of The Curator, received a world-wide review will hold this solo exhibition at the Yusuf Grillo Gallery, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), Lagos, with a feature lecture and display project by the painter and his German wife. This is his second outing and the continuation of a long exhibition which started last month at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos. The Edo State born poet, singer, choreographer, painter and multi-media artist said he is using the show to showcase his dream for art stakeholders in Nigeria, show Nollywood how best to do it, while also exposing his new creations, including his new light paintings, installations and sculptures. He said, “ The Art Merchant II Salon exhibition is like letting the cat out of the bag. I will be a merchant who brings out his work and sells them like every other means of selling goods, but in a pleasurable way, under a relaxed atmosphere, interaction, dance, laughter, merry making and exchange of ideas. It’s not going to be too intellectual. In order to project and actually feature art in the GDP of free market economies, the exhibition will try to explore possible means to attract more activities in the art market, Nigeria in particular.”
Founder of Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Art Foundation (OYASAF), Prince Yemisi Shyllon, will open the exhibition and discussion section, while the special guest will be Chairman, Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON), Chief Sammy Olagbaju, as well as the Italian Ambassador to Nigeria. Black Man in European Kitchen and Death of the Curator, two of Eni’s stage performances will be staged to entertain the audience as part of the exhibition on the 30th of April, 2015. Other features of the exhibition will include a cultural performance by students of YABATECH as well as artistic performances by Emmanuel Eni in Germany, a sort of documentary studio work of the artist.