Otobong Nkanga's First Lisson Show Confronts Ecological Crisis

Nigerian artist Otobong Nkanga's first solo exhibition at Lisson Gallery in London, titled "We Come from Fire and Return to Fire," runs from 24 May to 3 August 2024. The show features ceramic works resembling scorched palm trunks, a hand-braided rope with smoked-raku beads, a tapestry titled "Sunburst" (2024), and an audio installation "Wetin You Go Do? Oya Na" (2020). The works incorporate materials like dried medicinal plants, semi-precious stones (shungite, tourmaline), and references to geological formation and mineral extraction. The exhibition critiques humanity's environmental impact and explores alternative ways of knowing and valuing the natural world.