VIEW IN MY ROOM
United States
Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 16 W x 20 H x 0 D in
Ships in a Box
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In this seven-piece series, Abi Salami, a Nigerian born Dallas-based artist, takes a critical look at her motherland’s politics, and the corruption it’s plentiful natural resources cause within. A seed of curiosity was planted when the artist’s mother lovingly gave her a tub of Vaseline for her studio after noticing her daughter’s hands were dry from painting. In Nigeria, Vaseline is a household staple, as it is a byproduct of oil production. Nigeria is the 12th largest producer of oil in the world, and it is also rich with gold, iron ore, zinc and gemstones. Western companies, and the corrupt Nigerian government reap the benefits of her motherland, leaving 92% of the population to live off $5.50/day. Abi comments, “The money from the oil industry is colloquially called National Cake. Everyone wants a piece of the cake, the larger the piece, the better,” morality unconsidered. This knowledge left her feeling powerless. She uses symbolism and surrealism to depict the current struggles of Nigeria by creating a parallel universe where she can reclaim the resources of her country as a deity. “I can drink the oil, the Black Gold, and have it nourish me, and I can derive currency from the oil in the form of cowrie shells to share with my faithful worshippers.” But she does not stop there, as with all of her works, Abi turns introspective, revealing her own desire to live a life of luxury, and what she sacrifices for that desire. She reflects, “So is it fair for me to think, even as a deity, I would be able to not let the allure of Black Gold cloud my judgement?”
Painting:Acrylic on Canvas
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:16 W x 20 H x 0 D in
Frame:Not Framed
Ready to Hang:Not applicable
Packaging:Ships in a Box
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
Handling:Ships in a box. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines.
Ships From:United States.
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United States
Abi Salami is a self-taught artist who creates large-scale surrealist works that explore her experiences as a Nigerian immigrant and Black woman in the United States. Through the use of a personal visual lexicon made up of symbols, she explores topics such as memory, mental health and race. Based in Dallas, Texas, she earned a Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and worked in Corporate America for almost a decade before committing to painting full-time. Since then, she has gone on to exhibiting in Dallas and across the United States including at The Women’s Museum, the African American Museum of Art in Dallas, Band of Vices Gallery in Los Angeles and Field Projects in New York City. She was the winner of the 2021 Hopper Prize. She was selected as a candidate of the Saatchi Art 2020 Rising Stars under 35 Class and a 2021 New Voices Top 100 Artists. She and her work have been featured on the Washington Post, New York Times, Artland, Artsy, D Magazine, Glasstire and Patron Magazine.
Featured in Saatchi Art's curated series, One To Watch
Featured in Saatchi Art's printed catalog, sent to thousands of art collectors
Handpicked to show at The Other Art Fair presented by Saatchi Art in Dallas, Dallas
Artist featured by Saatchi Art in a collection
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