Timi Kakandar is one of Nigeria’s prolific contemporary artist with a keen following internationally and in his native country. He was born in Lagos in 1973 and began a career of Painting soon after graduating from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria in 1999. He was earlier mentored in the early 90’s by Jubilee Owei who had a profound impact on him and his artistic journey. Kakandar expresses himself uniquely through pencil drawings, acrylic, oil and pastels. “Darkness will always serve the light”, goes a popular saying; here Kakandar’s recent colour palette seems to tease that notion.
In a tow reminiscent of a fauvist colourists ethos, he heightens the effect of this temperament in his current body of works, by placing the narratives on a substrate of void-ness; black, of a questioning; the quest to unravel the mysticism that pulsates in his city, Lagos. Exhibitions:
In 2003, Kakandar partipated in his first exhibition at the defunct Art Noveau Gallery of Arts, Port Harcourt, since then he has been invited to participate in several group exhibitions including, Colours From The Niger Delta organised by the British Council Nigeria in 2004; Elevated Lines in 2006; Niger Delta Chronicles in 2008; Bonny Art Festival in 2009; alongside several exhibitions organised by the Society of Nigerian Artists such as the 4th and 5th Juried Art Exhibition tagged Artburst in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Alternate Reality and Ode To Mankind (2018).
Recent solo exhibitions include The Other Side Of Felabration in 2015; Synthesis in 2018 at the Kongi Harvest Art Gallery, Freedom Park Lagos and Identity at the Kalakuta Museum, Lagos, Nigeria. Timi Kakandar is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists.