KAYODE OJO
NEVER BEEN KISSED
Los Angeles
14 February – 28 March, 2020
EXHIBITION VIEWS
WORKS EXHIBITED
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This exhibition will present a series of sculptures, photographs and two new films by the artist that explore the relationship between fashion-exploitation and contemporary culture. Mass produced ready-made objects, staged garments and elements of glamour are configured into sculptures that mimic human proportions and poses. Ojo illustrates the absurdity of the contemporary condition by joining these elements together to demonstrate the complexities of today’s fashion industry and image obsessed culture.
Inspired by Hollywood and following the logic of the stage to screen to adaptation, Ojo extends this transference one step further, into an exhibition format. For this exhibition, Ojo considers two Hollywood films incidentally starring Drew Barrymore: the 1999 romantic comedy, Never Been Kissed and the 2003 action comedy Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle—the sequel to the 2000 release of Charlie’s Angels which was a continuation of the 1976 television series of the same name.
In addition to a series of sculptures that recall the world of espionage, Ojo continues to examine visual and cinematic tropes by presenting a new film shot and directed by the artist that touches on his personal connection to the city of Brussels. While playing on this personal narrative through film, he expands even further by exhibiting sculptures inspired by the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, famously starring Audrey Hepburn who was born in Ixelles, Belgium. The exhibition opens on Valentine’s Day.
Kayode Ojo, b. 1990, is an artist that lives and works in New York. He holds an BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He has had solo exhibitions at Giardino Segreto, Milan, IT; Galerie Balice Hertling, Paris, FR; Martos Gallery, New York, NY; and Sweetwater, Berlin, DE. Group exhibitions include Swiss Institute, New York, NY; Paula Cooper Gallery, New York, NY; Lomex Gallery, New York, NY; Jack Hanley Gallery, New York, NY; Praz Delavallade, Los Angeles, CA; and Greene Naftali, New York, NY among others. Ojo’s work has been featured in Art in America, The New York Times, Cultured Magazine, Garage, Forbes.com, Vulture, and Pin-up Magazine.
Kayode Ojo: Never Been Kissed is on view at 6150 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90048 from 14 February to 29 March 2020, Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:00AM to 6:00PM. There will be an opening reception on 14 February from 7:00 – 9:00PM.
