By Michael McCarthy By Michael McCarthy | September 23, 2021 | Lifestyle, Feature,
The Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose celebrates the work of artist Conrad Egyir with a sweeping new exhibit and a facade mural project.
Conrad Egyir, “Ludus. Allegory of Love” (2019, oil, acrylic, mixed on media canvas ), 60 inches by 48 inches
By the first week of October, one of Silicon Valley’s most beloved artistic spaces will have a new face. The Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose, as part of its facade project, will launch “Conrad Egyir: A Chapter of Love,” a 50-foot mural that will envelop the front of the downtown museum through the fall of 2022. It’s presented in tandem with Facebook Open Arts. The massive work will coincide with the artist’s ICA exhibit, Conrad Egyir: Chapters of Light, which runs through February. Egyir, a Ghanaian artist who lives in Detroit, weaves a narrative with historical threads that invite viewers to reflect on the West African traditions of communal living and child-rearing.
“Mediums of the Sun” (2021, oil, acrylic, mounted wood on canvas), 72 inches by 60 inches
His facade work is a familial parade of color, audacity and joy.
“Mitchell’s Class” (2021, oil, acrylic, mounted wood on canvas), 48 inches by 44 inches
“At its core, Egyir’s practice is about community and identity told through a language of painterly delight, making him a powerful artist for our next facade project,” says Christine Koppes, curator of the ICA San Jose. “Egyir’s bold, bright, graphic narrative paintings and portraits stylistically pull from pop art, political propaganda and religious art. Because his narrative paintings often explore citizenship and migration, they lend beautifully to the spirit of the ICA facade project as a vehicle by which artists reflect on the pressing issues of the diverse neighborhood of the San Jose South of First Area District and the many communities surrounding us.”
“A Chapter of Love” (2021, reproduction of the 50-foot mural painting on vinyl)
Tina Vaz, the head of Facebook Open Arts, notes that the program empowers creative communities, catalyzes conversations and gives a voice to untold histories. Egyir is even exploring ways of engagement, such as having community members contribute sidewalk-chalk art in front of the ICA—and he’ll work directly with budding artists in this way.
“Above your head I hold a crown, I challenge you to grow into it and wear it” (2021, oil and acrylic on canvas, wood panel, African wood sculpture), 120 inches by 102 inches
Teams from Facebook Open Arts and the ICA Curatorial and Public Programs also will host First Friday programming that will collaborate with other local organizations to raise awareness around topics related to the African diaspora. Details of the collaborative programming will take shape later this fall, but they include partnerships with the San Jose African American Community Service Agency and the Silicon Valley African Film Festival.
“A Chapter of Love” (2021, reproduction of the 50-foot mural painting on vinyl)
Chapter of Light, the first and largest West Coast exhibit of Egyir’s work, reveals the artist’s focus on blending religious and West African folk iconography with scenes of domesticity. He also employs canvas relief elements—including postcards and stamps—as metaphors for the passage of time and the collection of ideas. Above all, Egyir is keenly aware of self and the assumptions we make about appearances; his subjects, who are friends and, occasionally, the artist himself, are bathed in rich, primary hues. The vibrancy, however, also comes with a message: Fools dismiss what they see on the surface; the wise dig deeper and learn about the people in front of them. ICA patrons this fall will get a front-row seat to Egyir’s worldly and timely lessons. Oct. 1-Feb 20, 560 South First St., San Jose, 408.283.8155
“And with the sun on his shoulder” (2020, charcoal and pastel on canvas), 72 inches by 60 inches.
Photography by: Photos courtesy of Tricia Herrick;
Photo courtesy of Conrade Egyir and Jesssica Silverman;
Photo courtesy of Pamela and David Hornik;
Photo courtesy of John and Susan Horseman