Renowned visual artist, Osa Seven, solo exhibition, 1897: An Urban Contemporary Representation of Historic Benin Art, which is holding at the Muhcab Museum of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, ends on Sunday, December 1. The exhibition, which began on November 14, also made a bold presence at the Black Consciousness Month in Brazil and the 2024 G20 Summit. By reimagining Benin’s rich cultural heritage through a contemporary urban art lens, Osa Seven, in his own way, bridges the gap between past and present, offering a powerful dialogue and cultural context that challenges the boundaries of traditional art forms.
The exhibition, titled, 1897, commemorates the 1897 Benin Expedition. This show, a reminder of colonialism’s destructive impact, marked a pivotal moment in the decline of the once-powerful Benin Kingdom. While triggered by a diplomatic incident, the expedition was part of a broader pattern of European expansion and exploitation, this event led to the tragic looting of Benin’s cultural treasures, including its iconic bronze sculptures.
These objects held profound religious and cultural significance for the Edo people representing deities, ancestors, and royal authority. Osa Seven’s contemporary reinterpretation of these artefacts honours their historical relevance and artistic importance, offering a fresh perspective to the past and present. By making culture the centre of this work, he invites viewers to reflect on the enduring lega.