From December 7-28, 2018, New City Arts, supported by UVA Arts & the Office of the Provost & the Vice Provost for the Arts, presents Out of the Shadows, an exhibition of paintings and prints by Uzo Njoku.
New City Arts' Welcome Gallery
114 3rd St. NE, Charlottesville, VA 22902
First Fridays
December 7 from 5-7:30 PM. Artist talk at 6 PM.
Gallery Hours
Noon-4 PM, Monday-Friday
Sponsors
This Welcome Gallery Exhibit Opening Reception is sponsored by UVA Arts & the Office of the Provost & the Vice Provost for the Arts, Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee, Ting, and a Bama Works grant.
Exhibition Statement (provided by the artist)
Uzo’s work is primarily vivid, large-scale paintings that picture Black women with a combination of elements or shapes repeated in a recurring and regular arrangement in the background. The use of Ankara patterns (very detailed and vivid fabrics common in West Africa) is a vital component of her art. According to All Things Ankara, “Ankara print fabrics are made through an Indonesian wax-resistant dyeing technique called batik. This technique employs methods to ‘resist’ the dye from reaching the entire the cloth, thereby creating a pattern.” To the artist, the use of Ankara fabrics symbolizes tradition and high-quality fashion in West Africa. She incorporates the fabric by physically weaving the patterns, utilizing a painting method that is more universally practiced. Her collection, Out of the Shadows, focuses on Black women who, in both African and American societies, are made to feel small or in the background. By using shadow to add depth and juxtaposing these women's skin with bright colors, Uzo pushes the women to the forefront of their narratives.
About the Artist (provided by the artist)
Uzo Njoku is a visual artist working with oil paint, acrylic, and elements of collage. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the United States at the age of 7. As a student at the University of Virginia, she is working towards her BA in studio art and preparing for graduate school.
Artwork image courtesy of the artist.
