In the heart of Temple Muse, Victoria Island Lagos dwells a solo exhibition titled “Sole to Soul.” The show which wraps up today is a month-long showcase by SMO Contemporary Art to parade the delightful pieces by a renowned Nigerian sculptor, Adewuyi Kenny. The show which opened in June marks Kenny’s return to the Nigerian Art Scene with a stunning body of work that spans from 1993 to 2024. Curated over a decade since his last solo exhibition, this show is indeed a rare and intimate invitation to the mind, methods and spiritual essence of a true master.
This retrospective is more than an artistic showcase- it is a profound reflection on the human experience. With bronze sculptures that are both emotionally raw and technically masterful, Adewuyi Kenny explores themes of suffering, resilience, societal decay and the silent strength within human fragility. Works such as “Poor Boy,” and “The Other Side of Life”cast light issues like displacement, migration politics and psychological struggle, grounding each piece in deeply rooted African symbolism and personal spirituality.
One of the bronze sculptures by Kenny Adewuyi
From his early days studying sculpture at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria- where he earned distinction with awards for Best Sculpture and Best General Drawing- to his present-day studio practice between France and Nigeria, Adewuyi has cultivated an art practice deeply rooted in discipline, process and soul. He has remained committed to the painstaking art of lost wax bronze casting- a process he executes entirely by hand. His sculptures are instantly recognizable: elongated forms with oversized feet and diminished heads, metaphors for grounded resilience and the weight of lived experience.
“My work reflects what I see around me- the unspoken stories of hardship, hope and spiritual transformation,’’ says Kenny. “Art for me is not decoration- it’s dialogue. Each piece invites the viewer to reflect, question and connect.”
The exhibition features life-sized sculptures for the first time in Nigeria. Standing over one and a half meters tall. These towering figures, shaped with exaggerated anatomy and textured patinas, tell stories of human endurance and spiritual journeying- each title a prompt for emotional reflection: “Don’t Lose Hope,” “Why Me” “Come to My Aid” amd “Its Not Over Until It’s Over.”
His sculptures carry not only the physical weight of the material but the emotional and spiritual journey of humanity. The artist’s reverence for process-building kilns from scratch, sourcing found metal and mastering the lost-wax method- is central to the meaning of his work. Each sculpture is not merely a product, but the culmination of prayer, fire, and transformation.
The show comes to an end today at Temple Muse.
