Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 4

REWA
"IGBA NKWU NWANYI ⏐ Bride's Wine-carrying Ceremony" -- Painting by REWA

2019

$11,000
£8,380.32
€9,662.84
CA$15,394.28
A$17,200.54
CHF 8,997.79
MX$210,933.76
NOK 114,974.67
SEK 109,026.45
DKK 72,118.98
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

REWA says of her work… Viewers largely label me under “Contemporary African Art”. I label my work as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have created a truly original body of work that exists outside formal academic or Western dialogue. My art is drawn from life itself and deeply anchored in a place and culture from which it was derived. This is the Igbo culture pertaining to the Igbos of Nigeria. I think that this description is more accurate as it implies a unique iteration of customs and tradition, bound to a particular location and a particular people.  Igbo Vernacular Art is not to be mistaken with Folk Art, but rather, concerns itself with an expressive aesthetic that would be more commonly associated with Contemporary of Modern Art; form, composition and narrative. Vernacular dialects are anchored to a particular land, and in much the same way, my art contains a vocabulary that is built on a strong sense of place and is situated in a location and a history.  It is my hope that one day, my work will be included in art historical dialogue about Africa and specifically Nigeria, beyond the confines of the wide-reaching Contemporary African Art designation. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ REWA was born and raised between Nigeria and England and received a BSc. in Physiology and Pharmacology from University College London (UCL). She previously worked as the Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations for a Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed company. Prior to this, she was the Specialty Insurance Executive for Old Mutual West Africa and a Management Consultant at Accenture (UK). Never having received formal art training, she is self-taught and developed her innate talent from a very early age. Growing up, her father encouraged her creative drive, his expansive art collection from West Africa, providing further impetus for her development. Her formal training as a physiologist / pharmacologist at UCL also prepared her for what has become an exciting journey; she learned to observe in greater detail and to seek deeper meaning. She knew a few truths about what ignited a frenzy - when going for long stretches creating art with a particular song or artist playing on a continuous loop - but still sought a clear “artistic direction". She finds that her spirit is moved by what she refers to as "depicted sentience" and through the celebration of the female form and bright, vivid colours. Her preferred medium of acrylics and watercolours on cartridge paper provides the immediacy, proximity and transparency to express her most personal experiences and influences living between Lagos, London and Johannesburg, cities she considers home. REWA decided to pursue art as a form of catharsis following a nadir. She created her first 14-piece body of work, The Pantheon, celebrating Nigerian deities which was very well received and led to her appointment as ReLe Gallery’s 2017 Young Contemporary in Lagos, Nigeria. In this same year, the prestigious Gallery of African Art (GAFRA) in Mayfair, London invited REWA to participate in a joint exhibition, Her Story: Sisterhood That Transcends, alongside a acclaimed Dutch photographer, Dagmar van Weeghel. Her collection, Onicha Ado N’Idu delved into the significance of naming rites and traditions within the Igbo culture in Nigeria – how the names shape the identity of the individuals they are bestowed upon. REWA’s work was featured at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) in Brooklyn, New York as part of MoCADA’s annual 2017 gala. Most recently, she participated in the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery’s No Dead Artists 22nd Annual show in New Orleans, USA. REWA’s artwork represents and glorifies women in our numerous forms; as goddesses, as travelers and most recently, as inexorable forces behind naming rites of the Igbo culture. She has finally found her truth in a voice that is unique to her, one that has induced prolonged frenzies and abundant hours of introverted happiness and zen. For REWA, art creation is synonymous with catharsis and her creations are her life's diary.
  • Creator:
    REWA (1987, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2019
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 36 in (91.44 cm)Width: 48 in (121.92 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    New Orleans, LA
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU105213715472

More From This Seller

View All
anwuli ⏐ Joy
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
REWA says of her work… Viewers largely label me under “Contemporary African Art”. I label my work as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have created a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

kambili - Let Me Live
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
The artist says of her artwork... Viewers largely label me under “Contemporary African Art”. I label my work as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

"udala ⏐ waiting for the fruit to fall" -- Painting on Canvas by REWA
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
REWA says of her work… Viewers largely label me under “Contemporary African Art”. I label my work as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have created a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

Throwing Rocks
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
REWA was born and raised between Nigeria and England and received a BSc. in Physiology and Pharmacology from University College London (UCL). She previously worked as the Head of Cor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

amaka Beauty
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
REWA says of her work… Viewers largely label me under “Contemporary African Art”. I label my work as Igbo Vernacular Art. The reason for this is that I believe that I have created a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

nni bu ndu
By REWA
Located in New Orleans, LA
REWA was born and raised between Nigeria and England and received a BSc. in Physiology and Pharmacology from University College London (UCL). She previously worked as the Head of Cor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

You May Also Like

My Culture, My Inheritance
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Appearance defines what you are made of, being black, made of dressing, our way of approaching, respect, and how we react to things are what we inherit from our four fathers and we are happy and proud of who we are. Black is beautiful, I love black. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issue by The Galley) About Artist Ajenifuja Abiodun...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

African Royale - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Her beauty is natural, she exudes so much grace and perfection. She's a visual symphony of beauty and majesty. She's adorned. She always graced her presence with her well-crafted fa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Beauty of the Bride
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The inspiration behind "Beauty of the Bride" stems from the age-old practice of African kings selecting brides of great beauty to grace their courts. This tradition, often intertwine...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Goddess
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
At first glance, "The Goddess" invites viewers into a world of grace and poise. The central figure, the young woman, serves as the focal point of the artwork. Her refined and intrica...
Category

19th Century Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Adanna (Cultural Fusion) -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. In the heart of the 21st century, a young woman proudly stands in her neon-hued attire a testament to her Igbo Nigerian...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Neon Light, Acrylic

Inner Nature 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women on African Fabric
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. “Your mind knows...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic