Echoes and Edges

Echoes and Edges 

16 January -22 February

Montague Contemporary

In the moments between the familiar and the unknown lies the potential for transformation. This space of transition, memory, and renewal is at the heart of Echoes and Edges, an exhibition that isInspired by Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time (1962) and Okwui Enwezor’s analyses of temporality and rupture, the show invites audiences to consider the fragile yet potent boundaries of being. As Heidegger writes, “Temporality makes up the primordial meaning of Dasein’s Being” (Heidegger, 1962, p. 41) - a reflection on the fluid and interconnected dimensions of past, present, and future that shape our existence.

Heidegger’s exploration of the concept "Dasein" (Being-there) is a meditation on existence as a state of constant becoming. For Heidegger, the human condition is defined by its temporality: our being is always situated within a continuum of memory, present experience, and anticipation. This interplay creates a dynamic process of self-definition, a navigation of edges where past and future collide. Read more here... https://www.montaguecontemporary.com/exhibitions/51-echoes-and-edges-beatrice-wanjiku-camille-wekesa-miska-mohmmed/overview/

We are Parlor Soldiers

We are Parlor Soldiers’

31st August to 21st September at the One-Off Gallery

These works call for introspection; a call to return to ourselves. A call to assess the person in front of the mirror. Especially in these times. These works focus on our internalised core feelings, as we individually seek to remedy our self-imposed ethical dilemma.

Exhibition stills  fig. 1 Parlor Soldier, fig. 2 Boogie Dark 

 

Exhibition Stills fig. 1 (left) Cannon fodder fig. 2 (right) Cannon fodder II

The paintings far from being detached from the prevailing realities of a greater society are instead a facet of it. My intention is for these paintings to encapsulate the prevailing realities and also serve as a place of connecting to the experiences of others.

Exhibition still. Canon fodder

 

Studio Still

Gallery Artist 24

Exhibition install

The work submitted in the exhibition comes from an ongoing body of work that examines the construction of the individual what is called, “ethical substance” forms stripped of flesh/skin (a recurring motif) skin often an identifier that informs stereotypes; to explore our internal territories which forms the basis of our existential angst, the pursuit of happiness, and the desire to correct our own self-imposed ethical dilemma. Through intentions and actions both consciously and unconsciously we act based on our perceived reality of this ethical substance. The work therefore serves as a mirror of the interconnectedness of our collective and shared histories.

Exhibition Install

Contours of Memory

An Unstructured Mess (2016)

“Contours of Memory” is an exhibition that opened at Montague Contemporary February 1, 2024 and concluded 20 March 2024. It spans artistic expression from the past four decades, showcasing the transformative power of African art in shaping cultural narratives. I exhibited alongside works from El Anatsui, Oladélé Ajiboyé Bamgboyé, Merikokeb Berhanu, Victor Ekpuk, William Kentridge, Wole Lagunju, and Tesfaye Urgessa. Contours of Memory, is an immersive journey into the heart of African storytelling celebrating the rich tapestry of African life and culture, woven together by the unique artistic languages of these seven artists. The show stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and evolving narrative of the continent, inviting viewers to explore and reflect on the multifaceted experiences of African identity. my work in this exhibition confronts viewers with the complexities of the human condition within societal constructs, echoing themes of existentialism.

Sharjah Architecture Triennial. The Beauty Of Impermanence: An Architecture of Adaptability

“Creation” 2023 Mixed Media on Canvas

Honoured and delighted to be participating at the Sharjah Triennial 2023, "The Beauty of Impermanence" An Architecture of Adaptability with cave bureau, a Nairobi based bureau of architects and researchers charting explorations into architecture and urbanism within nature. whose work addresses the anthropological and geological context of the postcolonial African city as a means to confront the challenges of our contemporary rural and urban lives. 

In this triennial, the ninth installment of Cave Bureau’s ( Anthropocene Museum 9.0 ) research series constitutes the adaptation and tour of Sharjah’s old slaughterhouse, whose primary protagonists are the animals —cows, goats, sheep, and camels — consumed in the city; often without thought of their origins or how they are processed. The audience is corralled through an ever-present, but seldom reflected upon municipal event space, in a building that is now only intermittently used.

“The old Sharjah slaughterhouse”

The work I've presented at the old Sharjah slaughterhouse with cave bureau explores our humanity. The forms are stripped of flesh as a metaphor for how skin often informs stereotypes and the idea of exposed flesh, ribcages, raw, and bloody the grotesque is to explore a time in decline. The vulnerable form, in this exposure is a reflection of how we contend with our own intimate nature the forms which are dissected become ambiguous, abstracted, free to move unencumbered beyond the frame. This internal structure with its endless possibilities, its transient nature is a point of reference in my work as an observation of our shared experiences. The work is inspired by a concatenation of events, (human) events, leading to the exploration of our bodies in a space and time of change; interrogating encounters within our individual states and the dysfunctionality rooted in our social structures, the intensity of these times as a consequence of this, our humanity has now come face to face with the fall out resulting from these fragmented systems.

“The Primal and Unutterable III” 2023

At the core of the exhibit lies the philosophical underpinning of meaningful impermanence. In life, only death is certain, everything else is in flux. Visitors are encouraged to view the ever-shifting built landscape of life as an opportunity for reversed notions of growth, through introspection, and spiritual reconnection. It asks one to accept the need to adapt through a new planetary consciousness, that embraces meaningful impermanence without us building almost anything at all.

Past is Prologue II (Three Centuries of African Art)

The work in this exhibition is a juxtaposition of classical African art and Contemporary African art. Classical African art is profoundly integral to the society from which it sprung and a significant component of the communal, spiritual, and political structures of the many numerous and distinct cultures that produce it. From intricately carved masks to powerful wooden power statuary they provide a visual language through which these societies communicated not just with each other but also with the spiritual realm and the natural world around them.

My work explores the Contemporary perspective ; the paintings examining the specificity of our encounters as women which tend to be either marginalised or subsumed within patriarchal narratives steeped in culture. Constantly navigating dynamics within society the work looks to reflect ourselves back to ourselves and open dialogues. The paintings submitted in this exhibition are from  the “Savages” and the “Strait Jacket series” challenging the narratives of self, place, and purpose.

The exhibition concludes June 30.

Beyond Beauty (Savages series)

 

Transient Beings

To understand the transient nature of being is to accept that we are all just passing through one phase of our life after another. The exhibition investigates the many planes of existence, past and present, we navigate through. Each plane exists for us as a transient phase, but the entire process takes a lifetime. A continuous growth as a person is fundamental to the human experience. 

The Strangeness of My Madness VI 2022

Life is transient, yet art tries to capture its fleeting instants and this continuous process of transformation.

In “Transient beings. Contemporary African art and the human form”, the exhibition scrutinizes the human experience, the work functioning as a mirror of who we are. 

The exhibition will open on May 18th and run till 11 June. Read more on the exhibition here