Tiwani Contemporary is delighted to present Uli to Li: A Natural Synthesis, a selection of drawings and paintings by Obiora Udechukwu. Known for his experimentation with the traditional Igbo Uli design motifs, Udechukwu is one of Nigerian's most influential contemporary artists.

This exhibition presents work from the 1980s in which Udechukwu's interest in Chinese calligraphy led to new stylistic developments in his art. Some of Obiora Udechukwu's best known pen-and-ink drawings werecreated during this decade. The dramatisation of spatial tensions, the expressive quality of line and the bold pictorial elements became stylisticpoints of departure from earlier works.

During this period Udechukwu also experimented with colour, turning to watercolour as his medium of choice. In his paintings, he explores colour arrangements, shapes and textures which produce a soft, calligraphic effect resulting in a strong and compelling harmony.

Despite a reputation for lyricism in his work, Obiora Udechukwu's art also reveals a strong socio- political dimension. His work over the years has confronted the evils of poverty, dictatorship and corruption in Nigeria's post-oil boom era.

Obiora Udechukwu was born in Onitsha, Nigeria in 1946. He studied for one year at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria before serving in the Biafran War. Obiora Udechukwu completed his art education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, receiving his bachelor’s degree in fine art in 1972 and his masters in 1977. His work has been exhibited extensively locally and internationally. His work is to be found in the permanent collections of the National Museum of African Art, Washington D.C.; The National Gallery of Art, Lagos; Iwalewa-Haus, University Bayreuth and the Museum for Volkerkunde, Frankfurt. Obiora Udechukwu is a published poet, winning the ANA/ Cadbury Poetry Prize for his book, What the Madman Said in 1990. He is currently Dana Professor of Art and Art History at St Lawrence University, New York.

The exhibition will run from 11 July 2012 - 26 July 2012 at Tiwani Contemporary.

The Directors Ayo Adeyinka, Jude Cesar and Maria Varnava invite you to join them for the private view:

10 July from 6:30-8:30pm at Tiwani Contemporary
16 Little Portland Street
London, W1W 8BP
RSVP: info@tiwani.co.uk

Notes to Editors
*For press enquiries and detailed biography please contact
Ayo Adeyinka, Tiwani Contemporary
T. 02076313808
E. ayo@tiwani.co.uk
W. www.tiwani.co.uk
Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 11am - 6pm and by appointment.

Tiwani Contemporary

Tiwani Contemporary focuses principally on contemporary artists from Nigeria, from across Africa and its Diaspora as well from the Global South. The gallery’s aim is to present the works of emerging and established artists to a London institutional, corporate and private collector base. In addition to its commercial activities, Tiwani Contemporary intends to present a dynamic and innovative public programme that will include publications, talks, panel discussions, curated projects and events within the gallery space as well as in collaboration with other partners in London and across the UK.