Matthew Eguavoen

Biography
The Silence after the Conversation, 2023
Lean on me, 2023
MATTHEW EGUAVOEN WAS BORN IN 1988 IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA. HE CURRENTLY LIVES AND WORKS IN LAGOS.
 
Matthew Eguavoen attended the University of Port Harcourt, where he attained a Bachelors in Science for Civil Engineering and Structures. In his final year at the university of Port Harcourt, he decided to pursue his passion for creating art through self-study, where he continued his artistic development.

A full-time contemporary painter, he depicts his figurative and portrait subjects using a combination of oil paint, acrylic paint, charcoal, and graphite pencils to document stories that encompass the emotions and demeanor of his muse to the viewer of his work. Eguavoen uses his work to address the societal, economic, and political views across the complex intersectionality that Nigerians face in different facets of life. The constraint of societal ideology about life, on human existence and survival.

As an artist he is deeply concerned about the impact of his work on his immediate environment and the world at large and that is why themes of his art centers around the societal, political and economic imbalance taking over humanity happiness, swamping over the essence of society.
 
Eguavoen’s works are featured in collections across West Africa, USA, Europe, and North America.
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Interview
On the occasion of Matthew Eguavoen's solo show Ukhurę held at the gallery (21 March – 27 April 2024), the artist has been asked a few questions about his inspirations and the genesis of this exhibition. 

Thank you for agreeing to discuss your second solo exhibition at AFIKARIS Gallery titled Ukhurę running until April 27th. Could you share with us some insights into the exhibition and what inspired its creation?
 
Ukhurę embodies the connection between the spiritual realm and the physical world. The term originates from Benin, Edo State (where I am from) and refers to a carved staff. In our tradition, when the head of a family passes away, it is the duty of the eldest son to craft this staff. It serves as a mean for communication between the living and the ancestors, with the father acting as the mediator. I draw parallels between this tradition and modern therapy sessions, where individuals share their struggles and challenges. Just as in the tradition, these sessions provide a platform for cathartic conversations. In our culture, we gather with elders at the family shrine, engaging in dialogue with our ancestors, unburdening ourselves from life's challenges. Emerging from these sessions, there's a sense of lightness, as if the weight of our burdens has been lifted.
 
The shrine you are referring to is an installation within the exhibition, entitled “My Family therapist”. Could you describe it and delve into its significance? 
 
Certainly. "My Family Therapist" seeks to recreate the atmosphere of my family's shrine. It features offerings of food, fruits, and sometimes money, arranged on plates as a sign of reverence to the gods before we engage in dialogue with our ancestors. This installation serves as a visual representation of the sacred space where we honor our lineage and engage in meaningful conversations with our familial spirits.