Wednesday, August 11, 2010

The Art of Prince Twins Seven-Seven

While browsing the global cultural bazaar that is Material Culture, Meca & I were made aware of a dynamic exhibit on the 2nd floor of the building, featuring the work of Nigerian artist, Ibeji Meje Meje -aka- Prince Twins Seven-Seven.

Side Bar - Initially, I was a bit disappointed that the 2nd floor space had been converted to an art gallery because a year ago, this space was a showroom filled with reasonably priced, hella sleek, and very modern imported furniture, all of which I "planned to purchase" - ha! However, once we entered the large room, I was totally mad at myself because I didn't know about this exhibit before our day trip! Material Culture is in my hood, and apparently this exhibit had been there for a while, so I should have known about this fabulousness, but I digress. :)

When we entered the room, we were AMAZED at the incredible beauty and sheer complexity of Prince Twins Seven-Seven's work. His method is mixed media of sorts, beginning with enormous pieces of layered plywood, of which the outer layers are carved into the most intricate figures. Next he goes back to paint & draw on the entire pieces of art, ultimately creating outstanding masterpieces. His work tells folkloric stories about the Yoruba culture, his Ancestry, his life, and his work.

These are some pictures of Prince Twins Seven-Seven's book cover, his creative process, and his work.

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Also, I found this video online of Prince Twins Seven-Seven discussing his work, featured in the Indianapolis Museum of Art.



Enjoy! Prince Twins Seven-Seven's art is a feast for the eyes!

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