Artworks
Omolegalizado [Omolegalized]
painting
Date
2009-2010
Technique
Acrylic, newsprint and kraft paper on canvas
Dimensions
180 x 180 cm
- Omolegalizado
by the artist Yonamine is a relevant example of the collages in the form of murals or canvases that the artist has been developing throughout his career. This composition from 2009-10 presents a complex superposition of newspaper sheets, drawings and silkscreens, full of symbols and iconography that refer to post-colonialist issues.
In the set there is a clear factor of accumulation and suppression of experiences, a visual language typical of a wall in a busy public space, in this case staged, giving it a personal value. The reference to the detergent OMO, reappearing in other works by the artist, here highlighted by the title, refers to the expression “whitewashed”. It describes how minorities assimilate uses and customs of the Western world, which perpetuate corruption and physical and psychological violence. The mention of Unicef, whose logo is used to compose the word "OFF", is a clear provocation to humanitarian aid to the African continent, which can be both insufficient and a tool to establish a regime of dependence and control. These structures are legalised and maintained, which is why the title - Omolegalisado (Omolegalised)
appears as a clear manifesto sentence.
Yonamine's densely layered collage responds to his experience of acculturation, roaming, social differentiation and gentrification as an artist moving between cities in Africa and Europe. The piece is, however, conceived for an art space, on a large canvas, rather than for public space, which gives the detail of the phrase "SOLO SHOW" in the upper right corner more relevance - the artist is aware of the viewer and the artistic setting in which he is inserted, to which his message is directed.
DC
by the artist Yonamine is a relevant example of the collages in the form of murals or canvases that the artist has been developing throughout his career. This composition from 2009-10 presents a complex superposition of newspaper sheets, drawings and silkscreens, full of symbols and iconography that refer to post-colonialist issues.
In the set there is a clear factor of accumulation and suppression of experiences, a visual language typical of a wall in a busy public space, in this case staged, giving it a personal value. The reference to the detergent OMO, reappearing in other works by the artist, here highlighted by the title, refers to the expression “whitewashed”. It describes how minorities assimilate uses and customs of the Western world, which perpetuate corruption and physical and psychological violence. The mention of Unicef, whose logo is used to compose the word "OFF", is a clear provocation to humanitarian aid to the African continent, which can be both insufficient and a tool to establish a regime of dependence and control. These structures are legalised and maintained, which is why the title - Omolegalisado (Omolegalised)
appears as a clear manifesto sentence.
Yonamine's densely layered collage responds to his experience of acculturation, roaming, social differentiation and gentrification as an artist moving between cities in Africa and Europe. The piece is, however, conceived for an art space, on a large canvas, rather than for public space, which gives the detail of the phrase "SOLO SHOW" in the upper right corner more relevance - the artist is aware of the viewer and the artistic setting in which he is inserted, to which his message is directed.
DC