Iridescence, Color & Form, The Paintings of Timothy Orikri opens at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History on Friday, June 26, 2009. The exhibition will run through September 13, 2009. An Artist’s Reception will be held on Friday, July 10, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Born in southern Nigeria, Orikri, a multi-media artist, renders his works in a variety of mediums: watercolor, acrylics, oil and mixed media in which he incorporates found objects such as strings, feathers, burlap and sawdust. The themes of his paintings, which often reflect hope, harmony and nature, are rendered in rich, brilliant, rainbow-like colors that are reminiscent of stained-glass windows in their transparency, luminosity and iridescence.
This exhibition presents the museum viewer with a wide range of subjects and images including cityscapes, dancers, nature, and a tribute to his brother Dan. Additionally, the viewer experiences Orikri’s timeless themes of hope, harmony and nature that are reflected in several of his works. In reflecting on his artwork, Orikri has stated, “… a true work of art can be described as a juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity. Art must be filled with strong emotional content and be based on the perception, expectations and experiences of the artist…but must be timeless with as much intrinsic relevance in today’s world as in the future.”
Artist Timothy Orikri of Detroit, Michigan, has exhibited nationally since 1995 and his works have been featured in several galleries, including The Robert Powell Gallery and Education Center in St. Louis, Missouri; the Chesterfield Arts Organization in Chesterfield, Missouri; and the Sherrus Gallery of Arts in Northville, Michigan. Orikri has received several public commissions at the St. Louis Science Center, the Detroit Main Public Library, the Bruce Watkins Cultural Center and the Worldways Children’s Museum. He has received numerous public and private commissions nationally and in his native Nigeria. Orikri’s painting “Winter Halcyon” was featured on the cover of the Detroit Athletic Club’s December 2008 edition of DAC News.
Several of Orikri’s works are on permanent display at the H.Y.P.E. Teen Center in the Detroit Main Library; the St. Louis Science Center; The Magic House – Children Museum, St. Louis, Missouri; Pleasant Green Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri; Antioch Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri; and the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica.
The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center at 315 East Warren Avenue at Brush Street. The museum is located next to the Detroit Science Center and within one block of the Detroit Institute of Arts. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Further information about museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (313) 494-5800 or visiting the museum website at http://www.maah-detroit.org.
Timothy Orikri is available for workshops, exhibitions, lectures, showings, and painting commissions. For further information, please call 313-330-0992.
Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
315 East Warren Ave.
Detroit Michigan, 48201
