Menonday Art Vibe; Ark

Ade Adesina is one of my favourite printmakers in Scotland. Having the Nigerian connection is part of the appeal. I love how he brings his African heritage into his views of his adoptive land. For example, I love his etching called North East Safari, a comment on grouse hunting (see the lower left of the linked image), set against the backdrop of the Stonehaven coastline, Dunottar Castle, harvested farmlands, and oil rigs on the horizon. He introduces trees resembling Baobabs, as well as traditionally hunted animals of the African plains...

Anyway, this year's entry at the Open Exhibition was wall-sized. I took the photo deliberately from a distance to convey the scale. By all means, biggify to see the detail more clearly. Here we have something comparatively restrained, for Ade's work, but all is said by the concentration of things on the boat, a modern-day ark, carrying the living across the waterless landscape...