SAMUEL NNOROM

Nnorom works industriously to weave, roll, assemble, stich and sew together constellations of bubbles, bindles, and ribboned strips, reinterpreting the bubble as a tangible manifestation of collective survival, connection, and aspiration.

Samuel Nnorom’s sculptures are visual metaphors made from offcuts of Ankara fabric, the wax printed cloth now synonymous with African textiles. The production of Ankara has its origins in Indonesia, before the designs were co-opted for commercial use by Dutch merchants during the Dutch colonisation of Indonesia. It was introduced in West and Central Africa through Black soldiers recruited by the Dutch colonial empire for service in the colonial army. In this way, Nnorom’s use of the salvaged fabric forms a critical observation around artisanal provenance, and the impact of global trade on geographical identity.

This exhibition will bring together new works as well as some of Nnorom’s earlier creations.

Samuel Nnorom (b. 1990) is a multi-award-winning Nigerian artist whose work poetically crosses tapestry-like sculpture and pre-loved Ankara wax fabric. Currently living and working in Nsukka, Nnorom holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Nigeria, UNN Nsuka. He has run numerous workshops and undertaken residencies in England, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Nigeria. Recent solo exhibitions include Emotional Catch, Tiwani Contemporary (Lagos, Nigeria) 2023; Truth and Conspiracy, Primo Marella Gallery (Milan, Italy) 2023; Points of Departure, Galerie Art Mûr 5826 (Canada) 2023; Politics of Clothes, The Mitochondria Gallery (Houston TX, USA) 2023_; Politics of Fabrics, an Expository solo exhibition_, The Guest Artist Space G.A.S., Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Lagos, Nigeria) 2023. Nnorom is the global prize winner of the Art for Change Prize 2022, organized by M&C Saatchi Group and Saatchi Gallery.