Tinko, Tinko in pretty aunty-give-me-cake

Reconstructing identity through portraiture, Ekene Emeka-Maduka’s work emerges from her nuanced reflections on heritage, femininity, Blackness and culture.

Maduka’s first Avant Arte release, conceived in collaboration with critic and curator Larry Ossei-Mensah, is an edition of 30 circular archival pigment prints on Somerset En Satin 330gsm paper. Each print is finished with a hand-painted layer of oil and gesso, in which Ekene has added significant detail, depth and texture to the entirety of the surface — positioning the works in an exciting liminal space between edition and original.

The subject’s outstretched arms invite the viewer to partake in a game of Tinko, with the work’s shape and fish eye perspective referencing the distorted perspective — both literal and symbolic — of the iris. Tinko, Tinko in pretty-aunty-give-me-cake speaks to the importance of games as both moments of release and as vessels for collective cultural memory.

"Ekene is rapidly cultivating a rich and dynamic visual language that adroitly unfurls the complexities of identity, culture. and collective memory. Tinko, Tinko in pretty aunty-give-me-cake is a wonderful edition that vibrates with energy and marks a significant milestone in what will doubtless be a long and thriving career.”
- Larry Ossei-Mensah

FRAMING

Prints can be ordered float-mounted in a solid wood frame, painted matt black and fitted with UV plexiglass for protection.