Karo Akpokiere's graphic illustrations are well suited to conversion to jacquard fabrics. ‘High-Life Generator Orchestra’ is from the ‘Lagos Drawings’ series, which is inspired by the pop culture of Lagos, Nigeria.
In ‘Lagos Drawings’, Akpokiere considered how the language of graphic design, advertising and religion in Lagos can be used to comment on contemporary realities in the city. Specifically, ‘High-Life Generator Orchestra’ offers a satirical take on the heavy use of petrol and diesel generators as a primary source of electricity and the noise and air pollution they generate.
The highly collaborative process started with Akpokiere sharing the backstory of the artwork with product developer Lotte van Dijk. Together, they explored the best way to amplify the work’s narrative, choosing the most appropriate yarns, weaves and colours for each section. It was much like tearing down a building, being confronted with its core (the foundation) and then building it back up with new materials. Part of the process that stood out for Akpokiere was discovering how to create an illusion of colour by combining different yarns. For this project, a mix of synthetic and natural yarns were selected. In some areas, texture was created using historic weaves from Tilburg’s former Textile School, giving the conductor’s suit an interesting pattern and enhancing the billowing exhaust fumes.
Karo Akpokiere grew up in Nigeria. He studied graphic design at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, and received a master’s degree in fine art from HFBK, Hamburg. His bold works combine traditional and digital drawing techniques to tell social, personal and political stories from the cities he lives in. Combining text and images, he creates expansive fictional and non-fictional narratives. He has participated in several biennials, including the 56th Venice Biennale and the 20th Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paulo. In addition, his work has been exhibited in Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, High Museum of Art, Atlanta and Kunstverein in Hamburg.
‘Paula Modersohn-Becker Kunstpreis exhibition’, Barkenhoff, Worpswede, Germany, November 2022-March 2023
‘Textile now – each thread tells a story’, TextielMuseum, Tilburg, June - October 2023
