Installation view of the “What You Mean to Me” exhibition by Artist in Residence Victor
Ehikhamenor at The Neon Museum’s Ne10 Studio.
(Photos courtesy The Neon Museum)
VICTOR EHIKHAMENOR DEBUTS EXHIBITION “WHAT YOU MEAN TO ME,”
CONCLUDING HIS 2020 NEON MUSEUM ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY
The Neon Museum hosted an Open Studio event with 2020 Artist in Residence Victor Ehikhamenor, on Thursday, Dec. 17. The Nigerian-American artist, photographer and writer has been in Las Vegas since Oct. 26 creating a body of work inspired by the museum.
Incorporating interpretations of iconic Las Vegas signs in the museum’s exhibitions and archive, Ehikhamenor’s artwork also includes references to historic and contemporary culture. He integrates these elements into large-scale drawings interwoven into sculpture and installation work. This new series, exhibited within the context of the Museum’s historic sign collection, marks a fresh avenue of exploration for Ehikhamenor through the incorporation of neon elements.
ARTWORK:
“Okalente: Because Thunder Can Break (For St. Christopher)”
2020
42 x 42 x 144 inches
Mixed media, motorized
The latest in Ehikhamenor’s “Masquerade” series, this sculpture references the traditional Nigerian Igbo masquerade or mmanwu, which embodies the spirit world and human world and how they coexist.
“Red State, Blue State, Black State, ETC.”
2020
108 x 144 inches
Mixed media, canvas, neon
“Like Water God Riding His Dragon”
2020
108 x 144 inches
Mixed media, canvas, neon
This work will be part of The Neon Museum’s permanent collection.
“Rhapsody of Shadows”
2020
144 x 108 inches
Mixed media, canvas, neon
Harvesting Light and Fireflies With My Brother”
2020
72 x 54 x 10 inches
Neon tubing, metal frame
Fabricated by Hartlauer signs from a design created by Victor Ehikhamenor, the work was inspired by memories of the artist and his brother collecting fireflies in the village as children and putting them in bottles to create little lights.
This exhibition marks The Neon Museum’s fifth National Artist in Residence; the program began in 2016. It is supported, in part, by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the State of Nevada. The Neon Museum would also like to acknowledge the generous support of Juhl Las Vegas.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Victor Ehikhamenor is a Nigerian-American artist, photographer and writer. He has been prolific in producing abstract, symbolic and politically motivated works. A 2016 Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Fellow, Ehikhamenor was one of three artists to represent Nigeria at the first Nigerian Pavilion in the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. His work has been featured in numerous biennales, including the 5th Mediations Biennale in Poznan, Poland (2016) and the Biennale Jogja XIII, Indonesia (2015), and exhibited in London, Lagos and Washington D.C. Throughout his career, Ehikhamenor has maintained an interest in signs, symbols and language. The patterning that defines his work is a form of gestural abstraction reminiscent of written language.
As a writer, he has published both fiction and critical essays with academic journals, mainstream magazines and newspapers around the world including New York Times, BBC, CNN Online, Washington Post, AGNI and Wasafiri. He is the founder of Angels and Muse, a thought laboratory dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary African art. In 2013, Ehikhamenor collaborated with Nigerian fashion designer Ituen Basi to create the Ekemini collection which has been featured in Vogue Italia, and the Mercedes-Benz Fashion show. Ehikhamenor received his MFA from the University of Maryland, College Park. He maintains a studio in Lagos, Nigeria and Upper Marlboro, Maryland. http://victorehi.com
ABOUT THE NEON MUSEUM
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historic, arts and cultural enrichment. It has been ranked No. 1 in Las Vegas Weekly’s list of “Twenty Greatest Attractions in Las Vegas History,” one of “Sin City’s Best Retro Sites” by MSN, “No. 1 Las Vegas Museum Sure to Entertain and Educate” by USA Today’s 10best.com, “One of the Top 10 Coolest Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do” by Forbes.com, one of the “Top 10 Historic Spots in Las Vegas” by Vegas.com; one of “15 Most Fascinating Museums in the U.S.” by VacationIdea.com; and earns a consistent 4.5 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor. On its 2.27-acre campus, The Neon Museum houses an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard (“boneyard” is traditionally the name for an area where items no longer in use are stored); the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual spectacle “Brilliant!” which uses technology advances to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; the new Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center, housed inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art throughout downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, archival preservation and a grant-funded neon sign survey represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. The museum is located at 770 Las Vegas Blvd. North in Las Vegas. For tour schedules and pricing information, visit neonmuseum.org.