Wo èyìn wò (Watch Your Back)

When creating a composition, the choice of which elements to position next to or above each other – that is, the juxtaposition of elements – is crucial. This is what enables the artist to explore how different parts interact and to highlight contrasts or similarities. What strikes you about the background in this work by Kadara Enyeasi? In this collage, Enyeasi has placed two black-and-white portraits on a graphic framework with colour fields and text. The photographs have been taken from their original context and in that way have been reinterpreted. The artist smoothly combines different art disciplines to create an intriguing and aesthetically pleasing image. Drawing on both the geometrical principles of modernism and African textile design, Enyeasi blends together European and African art forms in a playful yet critical manner.