August 29, 2024 Photocarrefour gallery opened a debut and solo exhibition of the artist Samuel Ubong, aka Aritokonson titled ‘Metanoia’.
Etymologically, metanoia is a change in one’s way of life resulting from repentance or spiritual conversion.
With that definition in mind, one expects to find images or a visual experience that conveys repentance and spiritual conversion. With the exception of a few, like ‘Dry Bones Shall Rise Again’ and ‘Unity in Spirit’ the 16 brightly coloured canvases on the gallery’s walls have no connection with the aforementioned theme.
A few other pieces in the exhibition that stood out are ‘1000 Fans, Zero Helper’, ‘The Essence of Union’, ‘Family’, and ‘Sabotage’ speak of human experiences from the nucleic foundation to the societal. And could do well as standalones on their own. ‘1000 Fans, Zero Helper’ spotlights deteriorating morals of contemporary story which values capturing of a viral-able video/image even in the face of the dying. ‘The Essence of Union’ focuses on the beginning of life right from the uterus, depicting the direct influences of the parents on the child, right from the uterus. ‘Family’ centers around the role each member of the family plays, the father as the pillar that shields the family, the mother as its anchor, and the children as the protected and protector of their younger ones. ‘Sabotage’ speaks of the unconscious tendency to cut off one’s own feet and making life further difficult.
These images make no sense together. At least not until the artist weaves the narrative of the works that the connection begins to take shape. That life begins at birth (Essence of Union), and within a home (Family), a home that often but not always provides us the shelter and security necessary for our growth, and eventual venture into the (Wild) world on our own. But with that step of independence comes trials. Such (Dis-ease Before Ease) if not carefully handled can lead to the self-inflicted pain (Prickly Embrace) Baggage and self- (Sabotage). It takes a climatic event or experience as drowning before a sea of audience (1000 Fans, Zero Helper) for one to achieve metanoia – a spiritual conversion, in whatever spirituality one holds (Unity In Spirit, Happiness Regardless/Dry Bones Shall Rise Again), that completes the circle of life.
It is easy to write-off the artist’s statement as contrived messages conjured to imbue unintended meanings/ stories to independent artworks just to pass them off in an exhibition. Aritokonson’s explanation of the pieces happening by accident and the narrative suddenly falling into place after that feels legit. It isn’t often that the visual image of a child painfully emptying his bowels in a potty reminds one of challenges and the virtue of perseverance, or leads one to an insight on the cyclical nature of human experiences at various stages in life, to the point of a spiritual conversion.
Aritokonson uniquely conveys these emotions on canvas via the semi-abstract and illustrative styles. The latter style is reflective of his background as a schoolteacher and children’s author which compels him to think and write in images. Thus, the illustrative quality of some of the paintings. The rest rendered in semi-abstract forms, reference his self-taught art background. Although devoid of the classical drawing and painting foundation of his formally trained contemporaries, Aritokonson learnt enough to understand human body proportions – yet focus more “on expression rather than perfection” in this first exhibition – to say the things he wanted to say. That is, that metanoia isn’t a once in a lifetime experience, rather a cyclical activity that one can undergo at different stages in life, or of an event.
This is not a bad start for an artist. And that too in such a short time – the duration of third-term school vacation. He may have set a standard that is left to himself to break.
Certainly, shoutout goes to galleries like Photocarrefour that are there to shore-up and hold-up fledgling artists as Aritokonson slowly finding their feet in the ocean that is the contemporary art world.