Mitochondria gallery will present “UNFETTERED," a group exhibition featuring seven visual artists that employ elements of abstraction and surrealism in their paintings to deconstruct and create forms that reflect their lived and communal experiences.

The artists in this exhibition explore ideas around identity, vulnerability, folklore, and other sociocultural perspectives. The techniques of deconstruction used by the artists in this exhibition are an ode to the dynamism of their artistic process, and storytelling.

The exhibition features works from Ferguson Amo (Brooklyn, New York), Askia Bilal (Colombia, Missouri), Kwaku Owusu Achim (Accra, Ghana), and Qhamanande Maswana (Johanesburg, South Africa) who are exhibiting with us for the first time. We are also pleased to welcome back Daniel Pengrapher (Belgrade, Serbia), Chijioke Anyacho (Lagos Nigeria), and Adeniyi Damilola (Lagos, Nigeria).

Amo and Bilal present expressive portraits that explore identity using varying levels of minimalism, abstraction, and texture to convey the form of their subjects. Achim and Damilola employ surrealism mainly on the head of their subjects to create scenes that depict folklore, traditions, and current affairs in their respective regions of west Africa, from an ultra-contemporary perspective. Pengrapher and Anyacho lean into expressive figuration fused with elements of abstraction to reiterate their digested views on euphoria, nostalgia, and sociocultural dysfunction. Maswana presents new paintings that explore the sentimental and perceived valve of essential and nonessential objects in living spaces.

The exhibition will remain on display through October 21.