Orry Shenjobi: A wà ńbẹ̀: A Celebration of Community and Culture
18 April, 2024 – 24th November, 2024
European Cultural Centre (ECC)
Palazzo Mora
For the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, Orry Shenjobi (b.1997) will be showcasing a new body of work in an immersive exhibition entitled, A wà ńbẹ̀: A Celebration of Community and Culture. The multidisciplinary artist was invited by the European Cultural Centre (ECC) to present a selection of her signature mixed media works related to the themes of time, space, and existence. Shenjobi is the youngest of 200+ artists exhibiting as part of the ECC’s Personal Structures presentation. Her works will be presented at Palazzo Mora, on view from the preview days (18 and 19 April), until its 24 November closing.
Orry Shenjobi selected for the ECC’s seventh edition of ‘Personal Structures’
Aligning with biennale curator Adriano Pedrosa’s overarching vision for this year’s edition (‘Foreigners Everywhere’), A wà ńbẹ̀, the Yoruba phrase which translates to “We are there”, contextualises the exuberant culture of celebration unique to Nigerian communities and aptly defines Shenjobi’s debut on the global art scene. Shenjobi’s practice is layered by definition – she often begins by capturing documentary-style photographs of cultural scenes and practices, going on to manipulate them through varied methods of printing, painting and stitching.
Orry Shenjobi, Artist said: “I want people to feel like they have just had this incredible immersion into our culture, like they have been baptised in it. Owambes are more than just parties; they are like a spiritual experience! We, as a people, go through so much in life that we truly deserve these moments of balance and celebration. I want visitors to leave with this insatiable craving for more, where they can go back to their own lives but carry that feeling with them, like they have truly become a part of it, even if just for a moment.”
Pieced together, the works on view tell a quintessential story of the festive tradition of Nigerians living in both Africa and its diaspora – the deliberate embellishment of textures and colours speak to Shenjobi’s upbringing between two distinct and eclectic cities, London and Lagos.
Owambe refers to the longstanding tradition of festive celebrations that incorporate vital elements, such as the food, clothing, dance and music, native to Nigerian culture. It’s this cultural experience – from its preparation to the departure of guests – that Shenjobi is representing through a combination of paintings, photographs, site-specific installations, bottled scents and a short film. Bringing her vision to life is curator, Usen Esiet.
Growing Nigerian presence at the Venice Biennale, 2024
Whilst Shenjobi is the sole Nigerian representative amongst the ECC’s selection of artists for their Personal Structures presentation — alongside the likes of Hermann Nitsch and Yoko Ono — she joins the league of participants working across Nigeria and its diaspora, who are making waves at this year’s event. In an announcement made by Christie’s in September 2023, storied curator Aindrea Emelife was selected as the curator of the 2024 Nigerian Pavilion, entitled ‘Nigeria Imaginary’. Organised by the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), the eight exhibiting artists include established names such as Tunji Adeniyi-Jones and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, with their contributions marking the nation’s second inclusion at the historic event.
Pedrosa’s intended focus on cultural identity at this year’s Venice Biennale can be further evidenced by the record number of African countries named as exhibitors, where four out of the thirteen will be representing their nations for the first time. This marks the biennale’s highest number of Pavilions from the continent since its 1954 conception.
Usen Esiet, Curator said:
“Ultimately, this solo exhibition invites foreigners everywhere to carefully consider the act of celebration as an equally cultural and existential phenomenon that—like its host city of Venice whose various parts are linked by hundreds of bridges—is in itself a bridge between and beyond time, space and existence.” Structuring the exhibition according to these three distinct themes, Esiet foregrounds the multisensory experience of Owambe culture in an ontological framework that he refers to as
“an act of celebration of the art of celebration”.
Situated alongside first-time participants and established, supporting forces, the biennale marks a pivotal moment in Shenjobi’s career, whose culture-led practice echoes the current pulse of the contemporary art scene. Now, she invites communities, near and far, to revel in the spirit of Owambe culture throughout Venice and beyond.
Orry Shenjobi: A wà ńbẹ̀: A Celebration of Community and Culture opens 18th April, 2024 until the 24th of November, 2024 at European Cultural Centre (ECC)
©2024 Orry Shenjobi
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