By Yemi Olakitan
After another year of extreme weather, from record-breaking heat waves in Europe that buckled airport runways to catastrophic flooding in Pakistan and Nigeria that submerged a third of the country and killed over 2,000 people, the ecosystem is in danger.
UK weather previewed for July 19, 2022.
40.3 degrees Celsius was a record-breaking high.
In east London, fires burned hundreds of homes, while the heat nearly brought the electrical grid down elsewhere.
The Office for National Statistics predicts that the summer heat waves of 2022 killed over 2,800 over-65s, making it the deadliest heat year since 2003.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) reported a 134% rise in flood-related disasters since 2000.
According to a 2021 IPCC study, rising global temperatures are disrupting the hydrological cycle and intensifying floods and droughts.
Yesterday, Alexis Galleries and The Bricon Foundation unveiled The Uprising, a show about climate change.
Last year, the Arts gallery staged Recycled Matter, a group show that explored materiality and the environment.
The show investigated local concerns related to worldwide conversations about humans and their environment.
King Ereso and Blaise Vernyuy’s The Uprising stirs profound emotions.
“Both had their retrospective displays in the gallery last year and they are presenting again with philosophical ideas that are informed by their own experiences,” the gallery said to announce the exhibition.
Blaise’s revolution features colourful mosaics like acrylic paintings on canvas.
He paints human relationships—group or individual.
He studies the land as home and battle ground.
These relationships aren’t perfect.
He says inappropriate relationships have consequences.
In The Uprising, he discusses climate change, global warming, environment, socio-political topics, economy, racism, migration and refugee problems, gender, religion, war, terrorism, current events, and more.
Blaise blames humans’ environmental abuse for global issues.
Climate soldier Professor Niyi Osundare joins him.
Osundare released Green: Sighs of an Ailing Planet, a critical pastoral of environmental poetry, last year.
Osundare urged on artists, activists, and policymakers to work together to fight eco-degradation, which causes global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, water and air pollution, wildlife extinction, and asthma.
Blaise believes: “Climate calamities keep happening all over the globe and all we hear is: It is difficult for us to accomplish a rapid transition to renewable energies.
No gradual.
Lives, properties, livelihoods, habitats, species, and more are being lost.
Then what?
Can renewables take over now that fossil fuels have failed?
Decarbonization is necessary because “the planet keeps warming, and the glaciers are melting more than ever before.”
He claims in Transit To Renewable Energy (150x120cm) that renewable energy is now.
It’s now.
Do we still think mankind has time when we read about floods, droughts, hurricanes, rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and heat waves?
Human activities produce more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year than natural processes can remove, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide.
In 2021, worldwide carbon dioxide reached 414.72 parts per million.
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Since 1960, atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased 100 times faster than naturally.
Many political leaders brought updated carbon reduction strategies to Glasgow in November 2021.
The meeting’s goal was to improve promises to keep global temperatures from rising higher than 1.5C above 19th-century levels.
If countries fulfil their obligations “in full and on time,” temperatures would rise 1.9-2C.
Researchers quickly analysed the new pledges in Glasgow.
They said these new ideas will lower global warming.
Keeping warming within 1.5C is much less likely, with only a 6-10% likelihood.
COP27’s adaption outcomes disappointed many.
Wealthy nations agreed to create a fund to help disadvantaged countries cope with climate change losses and damages at COP27.
The meeting focused on adaptation, but critical agreements on funding and implementation fell short.
“We believe in promoting and giving both established and upcoming artists chance to showcase their works, express themselves, their style and continue to support them, not only getting their works exhibited in our space, but also grow their careers and position ourselves through platforms that shape and imitate conversation on happenings in our immediate and distant environment,” the gallery says.
Blaise, born 1993 in Kumbo Village, North West Grass Field, Cameroon, loved drawing and making toys.
He explored colours in elementary, secondary, and university.
Science-oriented secondary school.
After high school, he taught math and studied arts under Brazilian arts professor Paulo Lemos, who was also a missionary in Cameroun for six years.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts/Arts History (2017–2020) as his university’s top student.
After graduating, he worked at a Bamenda studio he had started while studying diploma.
He opened a studio in Limbe’s southwest coastline area in 2021.
He creates “Afro Abstract Figurative paintings” using acrylic on canvas and masks, African symbols, geometric patterns, figurines, lines, colours, and textures.
Ereso developed a passion for art from his father and brothers.
This devotion drove him to get a BA from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“Ereso goes into the art market with the determination to share stories of his journey, experiences and adventures,” says show curator Ike Sandra.
He expresses himself through careful material exploration.
Fashion is as vital to his work as his ideas.
He uses fabric and brand materials on his young subjects.
Ike adds, “another noteworthy element in King’s art is the way he awakens the viewer’s curiosity with a golden circular patch on one eye of his models.
This patch encourages us to discover our inner strength, skills, and power.
Self-awareness underpins his practise.”
Ereso’s paintings celebrate physical expression, self-realization, emotions, fashion, and his road to self-discovery.
The Lagos-based artist often celebrates optimism, dreams, revelation, realisation, and fortitude.
This show continues his R.E.D (Realising Every Dream) series, which uses red to symbolise perseverance, hope, strength, and self-awareness.
Pepsi, Tiger, Indomie, Mikano, The Guardian, Navi, Haier Thermocool, U.P.S, Aina Blankson, Cobranet, Art Cafe, Wazobia TV, Nigeria Info FM, and Rentokil Boecker sponsor the show
