By Mufu Onifade, Ph.D. – It is not every time that one encounters art pieces with provocative nuances that stir human emotions and sensibilities. At least, that is the summary of the artistic engagement and proclivity of one Nigerian artist whose works continue to reverberate with their unique features and themes.  

Armstrong Agoreyo is a renowned artist from Nigeria who is celebrated for his extraordinary medium of paper collage. With this, his visual expressions transform everyday scraps into masterpieces. It is vivid, it is gripping, it is awe-inspiring. As a colourist who understands the language and dynamics of colour, His colours are a dramatic transformative expression of the feelings from within. When at an exhibition – a group exhibition for that matter – his works stand out, especially with that unmistakable signature – so refreshing, so damning. so different.

A graduate of Fine Arts from the University of Benin, Nigeria, Agoreyo also obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Derby, United Kingdom in 2023. With a cross-cultural and multicultural dimension achieved during his sojourn, his artworks celebrate African heritage, identity, and resilience. Having imbibed western ideologies and mixed the same with his African orientation, he is masterfully bridging the past and present through his intricate storytelling disposition. His narrative and tradition are an endowment from his childhood experiences; and all these are evident in his oeuvres. 

 The development of paper collage, a unique technique for which he is known today, dates to his university days. He has legitimately honed this passion with which his art is now well-defined. He meticulously lays fragments from various printed materials to create intricate, colorful compositions that explore themes of cultural memory and social justice. The result of his experimentation is often a fine piece of creativity. It imbibes the garb of unstoppable fragrance and tastes like fine wine. The viewer is often arrested with awe, and this informs his evolution as an award-winning artist. This was brought to the art scene in 2014 when he was awarded the Art is Everywhere Prize for the best Waste to Art in the Visual Arts category. This is from a famous Nigerian annual Art Festival called Life in my City Art Festival (LIMCAF). Ten years later in 2024, he became a recipient of the Banks Mill Award by the University of Derby. He has since consistently produced outstanding paintings that define his pedigree as an artist of unique signature.  

It becomes imperative to review 4 of Agoreyo’s works to have a sneak peep into his pouch of art and creativity. The 4 works are The Gaze, The Journey Continues, Misunderstood and The Cleft Echoes.

This work is titled Misunderstood. It is a navigation and exploration into the harrowing premise of child abuse, a regular feature in Africa’s everyday living. The work focuses on the plight of the girl child in Nigeria. It captures the complexity of emotions experienced by victims who are often silenced and absolutely misunderstood. This piece serves as a vigorous visual narrative that urges viewers to confront the harsh reality of abuse. Not only that, it also nudges the viewer to advocate for the protection and empowerment of vulnerable children. The work is a piece of admionishment  that prompts reflections on societal attitudes towards victims. It is expected to ignite empathy and drive positive change.

The Journey Continues reflects the relentless pursuit of success. Every man craves success while success itself is always a hanging fruit far away from the grasp of man. The painting captures the experience as a tasking journey that consumes one’s energy, essence and being. This is noticeable in a forward-moving figure. Each step is a tedious job on its own, the struggle is real as it sends one of the legs worn out to the bone. The stress has eaten deep into the flesh thus making the skeleton so visible. This is a metaphor of pain that symbolizes the sacrifices and toil of ambition and its attendant pains. The journey continues serves as a deep reminder of the price one pays for chasing success. With evocative imagery, it prompts contemplation on the delicate balance between ambition and self-preservation in the human quest for accomplishment.

The Gaze is a simple title that cuts through intricate emotional web. The work vividly depicts the emotional complexity experienced by kidnapped victims and how this affects their social and emotional state even after being released. Like some other parts of Africa, Nigeria as a nation has continuously battled the menace of terrorism, insurgency and banditry. In the complicated web of indefinable intricacies of the national issue, the victims suffer untold emotional derailment. Even when they look normal physically, their inner minds remains tormented for a long time to come. Kidnapping is a thriving business for the kidnappers, it is an emotional distress to the victims while it is an unresolved menace to the ailing nation that may not heal until kidnapping is quashed.

In essence, this thought-provoking painting with its array of rich pigmental flourish highlights the harsh realities faced by female victims of kidnapping who are vulnerable in a society plagued by insurgency.

The Cleft Echoes shown above is a masterful and critical study in fractured identity. Employing the technique of dense, kinectic cross-hatching, it constructs a face that appears to be multiple masks wiven into a turbulent crown of thoughts. The visual panorama of layers speaks to the complexity of the psyche. The most striking element is the small creature resembling a squirrel or feathered spirit emerging from the figure’s face. This contrast between the heavy, obscured head and the light, fleeing form suggests a moment of liberation, a separation of the burdened consciousness from a moment of fleeting spiritual truth.   

Armstrong’s journey and exposure as an artist has been marked by a series of expositions, and collaborations that have garnered international recognition. From showcasing his works in Cipriarte Venezia Gallery in Venice, Italy, to the Artcore Gallery in the United Kingdom and the Thought Pyramid Art Centre in Nigeria, his art has reached diverse audiences, crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. These exhibitions have provided a platform to amplify the urgent message of environmental stewardship and the transformative potential of art.

Critically speaking, Agoreyo’s works have been various patronized by collectors and art patrons whether in Africa or beyond. They have also enjoyed some positive media reviews that have acknowledged the artist’s erudition and consistency of practice.