Emmanuel Osahor: No Place

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Emmanuel Osahor, "No Place," 2019

Opening Reception – January 6, 7-9pm – Artist in attendance

Paintings and plants form a complex utopia at McMullen Gallery in No Place, an exhibit featuring artwork by artist Emmanuel Osahor.

When Emmanuel Osahor emigrated from Nigeria to Canada, what he expected was a utopia. Ignorant of Canada’s similar colonial legacy, and the consistent mirage of capitalist visions of paradise, Canada  was placed on a pedestal since it was labelled “developed”, and Nigeria “developing”. After witnessing the realities in both countries, and with a growing awareness of current ecological, social and political turmoil, Osahor understands now that even as utopic visions of progress and development are created and pursued across the world, poverty, marginalization and separation continue to exist.

Comprising of a collection of recent paintings of real and imagined landscapes within Edmonton, a living wall of tropical plants, and a soundscape of the Edmonton River Valley, this exhibition attempts to hold the tension of failure and impossibility within utopic desire, while also conveying the persistence of hope that is at the core of the human experience.

Artist bio:

Operating primarily within the mediums of painting, photography and installation, Emmanuel Osahor seeks to ask pertinent questions about contemporary society by wrestling with specific situations present in the communities in which he lives. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Emmanuel Osahor moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 2010 to pursue a BFA degree at the University of Alberta, and is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Guelph, Ontario. He has been the recipient of multiple grants and awards. Most recently, he was announced as a Honourable Mention for the 2018 RBC Painting Competition.