Afrofuturism comes in a lot of versions. It’s less a coherent aesthetic than a point of view. A surprising, low-fi point of view, that feels timeless and forward-looking all at the same time, is the art of Nigerian-American Toyin Ojih Odutola. Here’s more from JUXTAPOZ:

Through pastel and charcoal works, the Nigerian-American artist travels through space and time as a storyteller, which I saw described almost as a new form of graphic novel, a “narrative of an imagined ancient myth set in central Nigeria, depicting a society dominated by female rulers and served by male labourers.” At heart, her art is about power dynamics, shifting and evolving, intimately described through these characters but speaking in a broader spectrum about the backdrop of our own reality and the shifting dynamics of the 21st Century Western World. Even through her social media practice, Ojih Odutola is a special kind of writer, as she questions and explains how social hierarchies direct her vision as they create a greater narrative of the art historical lexicon. That Ojih Odutola continues to be one of the most original thinkers and most sought after artists in contemporary art with one of the most stunning bodies of work being made today is a moment of pause and awe. It’s the year of noticing. This is work that demands attention.

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