Hanes Visiting Artist Lecture Series: Abraham O. Oghobase

In Land/Min(e)dscapes, Abraham O. Oghobase presents work from an ongoing engagement with land, history, and representation. In 2016, traveling alone and equipped with his camera, Oghobase’s movements across the bare grasslands and ancient rock formations of the Jos, Plateau in north-central Nigeria were unplanned and intuitive. The photographs produced are evidence of various aspects of this spontaneous dialogue with the natural environment scarred by past and present human mining pursuits. The scenes have been further reimagined over five years of Oghobase engaging and experimenting with materiality and form in his practice, most recently through an evolving abstract language combining photocopy, collage, and repetition. New forms and landscapes emerge in the process, speaking to the freedom and agency the artist has found in discarding the weighty burden of history and navigating the world on his own terms.

Abraham Onoriode Oghobase (b. 1979 in Lagos, Nigeria) is an artist based in Toronto, Canada. In his photography-based practice, he interrogates human existence and uncovers interior worlds through experimentation with the narrative and multisensory potential of images and objects, including archival materials.

An endowment established in 1983 through the generosity of Nancy and Robin Hanes supports the Art Department’s Visiting Artist Series. This important program brings both established and emerging artists to campus to discuss their work in public lectures and to offer individual critiques to M.F.A. students.  The Hanes Visiting Artist series greatly enriches both academic programs and outreach to the wider community.  All lectures are free and open to the public.

This exhibition is part of the Click! Photography Festival.