Head of State: “Home As Corpus”

September 14, 2023

This New York Fashion Week, founder and designer of Head of State Taofeek Abijako veered away from the traditional runway show, instead opting to house a full body of work at Strada Gallery at 329 Broome St.

Home As Corpus holds dual meanings that resonate with Abijako's exhibition: it signifies both a body of work focused on a specific subject and the central core of a structure. The gallery delves into the notion that 'home' encompasses more than a singular concept; it encompasses memories, tangible objects, and anything that profoundly resonates with us.

Within the confines of Home As Corpus, each dress is juxtaposed with the works of five other artists hailing from diverse diasporic cultures. Abijako's intent is to underscore that these dresses transcend their role as mere garments, transforming into sculptures that evoke the essence of his Nigerian heritage and personal recollections.

Text by Marisa Kalil-Barrino
Photography by Isaiah Johns

Home As Corpus serves as a platform not only for showcasing Taofeek Abijako's artistic vision but also for celebrating the talents of artists who have long inspired him. Joining Abijako's compelling work are Cameron Granger, Nola Ayoola, Oluwatobiloba Ajayi, Isabel Okoro, and Lewinale Havette, each contributing their unique perspectives.

Abijako passionately conveys, "This is more than just my own creations; it's an opportunity to spotlight artists I deeply admire. These artists share a common diasporic heritage, and Diallo and I initiated this dialogue months ago. Our aim was to expand upon the narrative of Head of State."

This collection forms a poignant trilogy alongside Abijako's previous collections, Homecoming and Memories of Home. While those collections offered glimpses into Abijako's Nigerian culture, Home As Corpus invites us on a profoundly personal journey, delving into his family connections and the intricacies of his craft. Abijako acknowledges the allure of the runway as a powerful medium for presenting designs, but this time, he aspires to encourage viewers to pause, delve deeper, and immerse themselves in the brand's essence, encompassing not only clothing but an entire artistic endeavor and a series of collaborations.

Diallo Simon-Ponte, assistant to Director at Gagosian and Abijako's collaborator, curated the entire exhibition in partnership with Nike. Their successful collaboration has cemented their desire to transform these exhibitions into an annual tradition.

Abijako reflects, "This exhibition is a culmination of our shared conversations, experiences, and mutual admiration for artists. It's a tangible expression of how 'home' transcends physicality, remaining an integral part of one's identity, forever imprinted in our hearts."

In the heart of the gallery, three distinct yet harmonious red dresses hung gracefully on wooden planks, suspended by crimson strings thoughtfully crafted by Abijako himself. His intention goes beyond mere dress displays; he aims to convey these garments as complete sculptures, each imbued with the essence of Nigerian notes and cherished memories.

Abijako eloquently elaborates, "In Nigeria, self-entrepreneurship is a pervasive form of employment. You'll find individuals under market umbrellas, seeking shade and sustenance. Those umbrellas symbolize something profound ... so, how can I encapsulate that in a work of art? Many of these pieces are direct architectural references from my homeland. Home As Corpus signifies that home resides within you, and thus, the sculpture itself embodies the essence of a dwelling, with this piece residing within it. That's the genesis of this entire concept."

Back in July, Abijako joined forces with Nike to introduce the inaugural 4v4 Co-Ed Futbol Tournament. He designed distinct team uniforms in a spectrum of colors, including red, green, white, orange, gray, black, blue, and yellow. Continuing this partnership, Home As Corpus marked the unveiling of Head of State's inaugural Nike Air Force One. This striking shoe boasts black leather with azure laces and meticulous detailing in the form of cowry shells. This design draws inspiration from Abijako's father's courageous journey from Lagos, Nigeria, to Spain — a voyage across deserts and sea, driven by vivid dreams of a better life. In his shoes, quite literally, his father concealed money in the soles, along with cowry shells, which once served as a currency exchange in West Africa before the advent of paper money.

Home As Corpus warmly welcomes the public until September 15, inviting all to partake in this exploration of culture, art, and heritage.

Art

LIA by Iga Drobisz

Your work often explores intimacy and vulnerability. How do you create a safe and authentic environment for your subjects during a shoot?

The past few months, I’ve been working on two series of photographs: nudes of women in their own apartments and portraits of women before and after giving birth. Both series involve capturing them in deeply personal spaces—bedrooms or nurseries—where they feel at ease.

Shooting in their spaces, in their own beds, plays a crucial role in creating comfort. I choose film and cameras that show them in a way they find beautiful and empowering, emphasizing softness and warmth. It's a stark contrast to modern, hyper-detailed phone cameras that sometimes reveal more than one wants to see.

Your photography has a distinct emotional depth and texture. How do you approach the interplay of light, color, and composition to achieve this?

My process is highly intuitive. I’ve never formally studied photography or apprenticed under anyone—I learned by experimenting and seeing what felt right. It’s about trusting my instincts rather than adhering to rigid rules.

What role do personal experiences or cultural influences play in shaping the stories you tell through your images? Many of your photographs feel deeply narrative.

Growing up, I was surrounded by great cinematography. My grandmother had a TV, but my mom only brought home VHS tapes—films with substance. I think that exposure shaped how I see the world, how I approach subjects, and the narrative depth in my work.

What role does spontaneity play in your shoots? Do you leave room for improvisation, or is everything carefully planned?

To balance spontaneity and structure, I go in with a clear plan and strong direction, but I remain open to surprises. It’s about letting the subject feel like the shoot is about them, not me. That openness often leads to the most unexpected, meaningful moments.

What inspired the shoot with singer Lia? How did it come together?

Collaborating with Ruby and Naomi always takes me out of my comfort zone in the best way. For this shoot, we wanted to transform someone with an iconic face but also someone like Lia—someone with a clear sense of self.

Giving her a completely new look was exciting; it brought an unexpected energy to the set. The approach was playful and experimental. The night before, I had no idea what wigs Ruby would bring or what colors Naomi might choose. It was a beautiful mix of spontaneity and collaboration.

What inspires you the most?

Movies and music are big inspirations for me, as well as the work of other photographers like Carlijn Jacobs, Harley Weir, Rineke Dijkstra, Charlotte Wales, and Nan Goldin.

What emotions or truths are the hardest for you to express through your art, and why?

I don’t think I consciously try to express specific emotions when I work. Instead, I follow what feels right in the moment—what draws me in or excites me that day. It’s less about a deliberate expression and more about letting intuition guide the way.

Art

Luna Luna: Surrealist Spectacle Lands in New York

November 21, 2024

In the 1980s, André Heller, an Austrian artist, singer-songwriter, and former actor, was looking for a new place to showcase his art. He had already taken to gardens, creating a colorful, surrealistic character using 40,000 flowers, and to the skies, organizing a 'fire theatre,' which involved an over-the-top fireworks show complete with steel-frame sculptures set on fire. But he had never tried out a fair.

So began "Luna Luna." Created as the world's first art carnival, "Luna Luna" combined the spectacular with the absurd, showcasing original rides and attractions from rising and already-at-the-top artists in Hamburg. Nearly forty years since its debut, followed by foiled plans for a worldwide tour, breached contracts, and 44 storage containers, the art fair has finally returned, calling New York home after re-debuting last year in Los Angeles.

By Hailey Johnson
Photography by Delvin Claro and Sabrina Sarnitz, courtesy of Luna Luna LLC

On a recent evening in Hudson Yards, a small carousel featured characters in quirky, Twister-like poses and an outstretched dog with seven legs. (Almost a century old, the rides are no longer rideable.) Goofy wooden sculptures were elevated in another corner, some of them cross-eyed or with a horn for a nose. A geodesic dome glowed, with Gregorian chants hovering somewhere above it.

"It's an art experience like no other," Michael Goldberg, Chief Experience Officer of Luna Luna, said recently. "People get to see artists do things they've never done before," he added.

Goldberg, founder of Something Special Studios, a creative agency behind many Nike campaigns, was determined to resurrect “Luna Luna” after reading about it online in 2019. Goldberg shopped for investors, eventually teaming up with DreamCrew, a media company co-owned by the rapper Drake. (Details on the company's investment remain vague; sources have reported that DreamCrew spent over "100 million dollars.") In 2022, an intensive restoration process began, with a team of artists reviving many of the original works, which had remained in boxes in a Texas warehouse for over thirty years. Several had been in pieces. (The team reportedly had to rebuild each work "bolt by bolt.")

That night, at the Shed, fourteen out of the original thirty-five works were on display, including the small carousel (Keith Haring), the goofy sculptures (Kenny Scharf), the neon dome (Salvador Dali), and a towering Ferris wheel decorated in drawings of stick figures, upside crowns, and references to Jim Crow (Basquiat). Missing works are in a "constant state of restoration," Goldberg said. Meanwhile, new attractions are joining the line-up. For the New York show, the Puerto Rican duo Poncilí Creación was commissioned to create "PonciliLand," a blink-and-you-miss-it section where guests "can create fantastical characters out of custom building blocks." Poncili also developed floating characters, inspired by performers who circulated the original “Luna Luna” fairgrounds in 1987. Known as "Lovers," the two characters, large and dreamlike, teetered to one side, mumbling the kind of nervous groans one does before a fall. (They never ended up falling.)

I asked Goldberg if, given that today's culture doesn't quite look or feel the same way as it did in 1987, there was any hesitation in showing some of the original works. On a back wall, a tribute featured Manfred Diex's "Palace of the Wind," a show featuring performers who fart into a microphone; on another, two ornate pedestals held sculptures of spiral poop.

"I don't see any reason why we wouldn't show any of these works," he said. "A lot of the time, art is exclusive and uninviting. The big difference between “Luna Luna” and other art experiences is that it has many sides to it, and things that have a bit of humor and playful energy. "As for "Palace of the Winds,” the decision to keep it was simple: farting is universal. He went on: "The “Crap Chancellery" is, conceptually, one of the most important works in “Luna Luna.” Daniel Spoerri's dad was killed in the Holocaust, and the work was inspired by Albert Speer, who was Hitler's architect. He took the facade of what was meant to be a Nazi shrine and turned it into the facade of a bathroom with two steaming statues of shit standing on the outside. These works are extremely important and are things that we would definitely want to honor and draw attention to."

As “Luna Luna” further develops, the show will likely change. "It will continue to evolve as we go to different cities in response to the spaces that we pop up into and in collaboration with the local city," Goldberg said." With it, there will be new characters and new stories to tell. One aspect that won't change, though, as Goldberg assured, is a long-held sentiment about a potential partnership. At one point, early on during the original “Luna Luna” era, McDonald's wanted to buy into it. Heller said no, adding that he "didn't want it to feel like Disneyland." Goldberg agreed. Nonetheless, as I watched Kenny Scharf's dizzying swing ride go around for what felt like the hundredth time, with the cartoon characters decorated on it blurring together (one with a villain's grin, another morphed into a martini glass), I couldn't help but feel like maybe I was at Disneyland, only not as robbed, but just as entertained and exhausted by its rides and fantastical characters, and wanting to go again.

Luna Luna, Hamburg, Germany, 1987.

Art

Pamela Sneed’s Speaking Tongue opens at Dashwood Projects

November 15, 2024

Pamela Sneed’s latest exhibition, Speaking Tongue, will be on view at Dashwood Projects from November 20 to December 21. The show features twenty watercolor and ink paintings inspired by her recent trip to Kenya, where she was deeply moved by the elegance of giraffes, the landscapes, and the energy of Nairobi.

Blending her background as a poet and visual artist, Sneed’s work reflects on themes of identity, nature, and connection. Her paintings capture the beauty and spirit of the animals she encountered, alongside reflections on her own experiences as part of the African diaspora.

This exhibition marks Sneed’s first solo show with Dashwood Projects and will be accompanied by a new book, also titled Speaking Tongue, to be released in December.