Mariane Ibrahim is delighted to announce, as of February 2020 the gallery will represent Peter Uka.
Based in Cologne, Peter Uka’s works represent formative moments in life, presenting gracious and glorious familiar figures. Born in Nigeria’s Benue state, Uka creates work that references childhood memories through the arrangement of afro hairstyles and bell-bottom jeans, alongwith geles (traditional Nigerian headwraps) and adire (resist dyed cloth) adorned figures.
Within Uka’s works there are intentional degrees of photorealism while rich colour blocks intersperse each composition. The juxtaposition nods to the limits of memory and a fading past - exploring the ways in which time is fragile, inconsistent, and always perspectival.
Impeccable in detail, the figures therein exude a veritable self-confidence, irrespective of social demarcations. The mix of compositions capture the international reach of trends from the late 20th century and the ways in which ideas of “home” are enmeshed. Together, these narratives uncover historical precedents of globalization and dynamic cultural signifiers connecting two countries that Uka calls home, while reminding the rest of the world of collective reciprocity, closeness, and connection.
The gallery will debut his work at ARCOmadrid 2020 on February 26 - March 1, 2020 and will present a solo exhibition of his work in Spring 2021.
About Peter Uka:
Peter Uka (Nigerian, born 1975), is based in Germany, where he completed his studies in 2017 as a Meisterschüler (Master Student) under artists such as Tal R and Eberhard Havekost. At the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf Uka honed his practice of painting realistically with little reliance on photographs, and interim began to introduce abstraction and figuration into his work. Recent exhibitions include Fragment of the Present Past, Galerie Voss, Düsseldorf (2018).
