the street is our gallery

May 16, 2020 to June 14, 2020

GR gallery is pleased to announce “Neo Luv” a duo exhibition

showcasing new works by internationally known artists from Nigeria and Japan: Dennis Osadebe and LY painter. Dubbed after LY’s main character “Luv” and Dennis own definition of his art as “Neo African”, the show will present 22 fresh paintingson canvas, and two individual prints. Their work investigates and advance the discourse around the traditional cultural heritage, by decontextualizing, reinventing and mixing the old customs with new and cutting edge elements, pushing beyond the boundaries the figurative imagery in today’s art scene.

 

“Neo Luv” aims to exhibit the creative output of these exceptionally gifted artists that, through a shared passion for imaginary characters, specific aspects of nowadays society, a unique color palette and a hint of melancholy, reinterpret the traditional culture in two singular ways. This exhibition, esthetically characterized by Dennis vibrant, bright and alluring style, and LY’s more somber, contemplative and immersed approach, starts a discussion around contemporary topics such as cultural integration, economic exploitation and psychological conflicts.

Due to the current health crisis situation the exhibition will be on view virtually through GR gallery website and by appointment only from Saturday May 16 at 12:00 PM (Exhibition Dates: May 16– June 14, 2020).

Two individual gicleè prints will be released on Friday May 29th at 12:00 PM EST, on-line exclusively on GR gallery web store.

Dennis works are executed with a unique technique that he personally developed during the years, consisting in a series of multiple overlapped layers of clean and precisely applied acrylic paint and hi-quality digital printing, giving birth to his signature, neat and complex, compositions. Mixing traditional elements of old and new, rural and urban all around African culture, such as Yoruba masks, a bright colors palette and dunebuggys car with international and highly recognizable contemporary bits in a mission to leave the stereotypical images of African art behindand creating a new wave and image of art linked to his native country.

LY’s city landscapes merge together several classical urban art elements and imagery such as Skate parks and shops, burger joints and subway stations immersed in a more traditional Japanese architecture and design style. Her works are always executed mastering an incredibly various and lively scale of blacks and grays colors, applied meticulously, layer by layer, in order to obtain a neat and unique aesthetic effect, usually slightly melancholic. These black and white compositions are very often populated by LUV (or LUVS), a mysterious dark figure, designed in the appearance of a good Monster, conceived putting again together bits of Japanese classic heritage and classical comics hints. This character, who can be interpreted like the artist alter-ego, gives new meanings to everyday actions opening up different readings of the social and cultural behavior in the present metropolitan life.