Leena Similu, Ex-amount Good-looking an Girlie, 2023. Photo Aurélien Mole. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim
Mariane Ibrahim is delighted to present a solo exhibition in Paris of new work by Leena Similu entitled Super Fantastic. The show will be on view from December 7th, 2023 through February 3rd, 2024.
What does the ideal self-look like? In Super Fantastic, Leena Similu emerges as an artist whose evocative sculptures transcend the confines of time and space. Similu beckons us to traverse the enigmatic channels to the continuum of ancestral lines, in which her ten glazed ceramics stand as eloquent witnesses to the currents of transhumanism and the captivating concept of relic-making.
Similu’s choice of ceramics as her medium is not merely a matter of artistic preference; it is a deliberate invocation and provocation to timelessness. Her works stand as both temporal artefacts, forging sankofian connections between past, present, and future. In shaping the malleable clay, Similu engages in a profound dialogue with time itself, mirroring the intricate dance of masquerades found in West Africa.
Carefully placed on logs of wood, these morphing ceramics serve as vessels brimming with shapeshifting stories and history bearing the marks of time. The growth rings on the logs reflect the passage of years and seasons, while the ceramics capture moments frozen in clay. Drawing from her Cameroonian heritage, Similu's work, however, is not solely an exploration of relics and time; it is equally a celebration of the profound and ever-changing interpersonal pursuits that define the human experience, such as that of matrescence.
Within the realm of Similu’s visual language, placing ceramics on logs of wood anxiously balances fragility and stability, while also creating a visual narrative of time's inexorable stride. Informed by a research on colonial documentation of African artefacts in the West, Similu reinvents historical continuity and invites a reflection on the transient nature of all things, the legacies we leave behind, and our relationship with the multitude. In a world of digital filters, Similu challenges us to consider how technology, like the masks in West African traditions, can both conceal and reveal aspects of our identity, echoing the duality inherent in these cultural symbols. We are reminded that relics are not merely remnants of the past; they are conduits for the stories of our collective memory, waiting to be discovered and cherished for generations to come. Through her expressive vessels, Similu takes us on a playful journey in which clay becomes a canvas for the exploration of forever changing faces, as her work stands as an ode to abandoning control.
Leena Similu's ceramics are not static artefacts but rather dynamic witnesses to the passage of time. Through her works, she enquires about a temporal tunnel, transcending the constraints of linear chronology. Infused with the spirit of the masks, these sculptures spark a profound dialogue, questioning the augmentation of human identity and its implications for the evolution of self across time.
Contribution written on behalf of the exhibition, Super Fantastic, by writer and art curator Mistura Allison.