![Meet the Nenaissance Man, Irvin Pascal, the mixed media artist giving African art a fighting chance [Credit- Niki Cryan Instagram]](https://naijanewsportal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Meet-the-Nenaissance-Man-Irvin-Pascal-the-mixed-media-artist-giving-African-art-a-fighting-chance-Credit-Niki-Cryan-Instagram.png)
Dressed in a black silk shirt, black jeans and a signature pair of opaque shades, Irvin exudes a powerful masculine energy. There’s no doubt who the star of the night is as we gather to witness ‘The Nenaissance’.
Standing next to Irvin, Nkechi Cryan, the art consultant who facilitated this whole exhibition gestures enthusiastically towards his work, walking guests through the pieces. They’re quite the combination and the more you get to know them, the more lethal that combination becomes. The professional boxer turned artist and the sharp-eyed art connoisseur; joining forces to make their mark on Lagos’ flourishing art scene.
Talking about their union, Irvin explains that the two met at an art fair with Nkechi being a long-time admirer of the artist and his work. ‘’I met Nkechi at an art fair last year in London and then from there we had a conversation about potentially having a show here [Lagos]. We had a conversation over a couple of months and I started to think about what I was taking in from the influence of the popularity of contemporary Nigerian music particularly African fusion and afropop which has been received really well in the UK and across the world. I wanted to look at that and develop a series around that influence and also kind of related to the history of British culture how that links to Africa.’’ADVERTISING
The power of African culture in the British scene is undeniable with many Africans in the diaspora seeking out music, art and culture from the continent, eager to connect with something deeper. Irvin, having grown up in the United Kingdom, insists that he has always remained very much in touch with his roots with African art being very much a part of his identity from a young age.
‘’I always knew that I was a part of
Dressed in a black silk shirt, black jeans and a signature pair of opaque shades, Irvin exudes a powerful masculine energy. There’s no doubt who the star of the night is as we gather to witness ‘The Nenaissance’.
Standing next to Irvin, Nkechi Cryan, the art consultant who facilitated this whole exhibition gestures enthusiastically towards his work, walking guests through the pieces. They’re quite the combination and the more you get to know them, the more lethal that combination becomes. The professional boxer turned artist and the sharp-eyed art connoisseur; joining forces to make their mark on Lagos’ flourishing art scene.
Talking about their union, Irvin explains that the two met at an art fair with Nkechi being a long-time admirer of the artist and his work. ‘’I met Nkechi at an art fair last year in London and then from there we had a conversation about potentially having a show here [Lagos]. We had a conversation over a couple of months and I started to think about what I was taking in from the influence of the popularity of contemporary Nigerian music particularly African fusion and afropop which has been received really well in the UK and across the world. I wanted to look at that and develop a series around that influence and also kind of related to the history of British culture how that links to Africa.’’ADVERTISING
The power of African culture in the British scene is undeniable with many Africans in the diaspora seeking out music, art and culture from the continent, eager to connect with something deeper. Irvin, having grown up in the United Kingdom, insists that he has always remained very much in touch with his roots with African art being very much a part of his identity from a young age.
‘’I always knew that I was a part of the culture because you know, from a young age I was always around African art, my Mum and Dad used to bring African art back from Nigerian but it was more of an everyday thing you know, you can access art everywhere. Even looking on Instagram, it’s easy to see how the art world in Nigeria is developing and it piqued my interest. It was the right time.’’
