KATES-FERRI PROJECTS: SAMUEL NNOROM "IN A MATERIAL WORLD, IN THE BEGINNING"

KATES-FERRI PROJECTS is honored to present Samuel Nnorom's first solo exhibition at the gallery located at 561 Grand Street, NYC 1002 and titled "In A Material World, In The Beginning"
On view will be the artist’s newest series, Genetics Inspired and Water Wave Inspired. Using the visual language of creation from science and religion, the artist creates soft sculptures with traditional African wax fabrics to explore the concept of creation.
According to scientists, humanity stems from the Horn of Africa some 200,000 to 300,000 years ago. Based in Nsukka Nigeria, Nnorom appreciates the historic ways in which the globe is interlinked through his home continent, not only as the cradle of life but also as the emergent economic stronghold of the Global South. He illustrates this connection through his fabric choices, which have traversed the global path. These colorful African patterns are designed in China or Europe by contemporary designers originating from Indonesia, mass-produced in China, then sold to, consumed by, and accepted in Nigeria and other African countries as traditional African fabrics. Covering many small foam balls, he cuts, sews, and ties the textiles to make his literal “social fabric”. To the artist, the material is quintessential for humans, as a second skin, as a shelter, and as a larger metaphor for humanity. To further demonstrate humanity’s interconnectedness through the fabric, Nnorom stitched the bubble-like forms to represent eggs, ovaries, or atoms that hold a unit of life. These forms can carry secrets, emotions, mysteries, experiences, and connections. Sharing this network in his Genetics Inspired series, Nnorom utilizes scientific formations like the double helix of DNA, chromosomal forms, three-dimensional rendering of chaos, illustration of the earth’s electro-magnetic field and quantum mechanics to visualize creation. By bringing the socio-economic and the scientific into the series, Nnorom creates a visual metaphor for the way cultures and histories are interwoven, highlighting the complex, dynamic relationships that shape and create our world.
In his Water Wave Inspired series, Nnorom draws on Bible verses on creation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”-Genesis 1:1-3. Focusing on the formless void, the darkness, and the waters, the artist births his creation from nothing as well. The wall sculptures burst forth, rising and falling with great depth, while tethering one foam ball to the next. The rich blacks and vibrant blues of the textiles emerge as the spiral comes to life, just as the word of God intended. Using the same visual language, Nnorom activates every space his work inhabits, as if to initiate life itself.
Nnorom’s work bridges the mysticism of religious storytelling of creation with the hard-nosed understanding of creation from the science realm through his manipulation of textiles. He wills his work to life as humanity wills its own existential survival. As such, Nnorom has exhibited on every continent on the planet. The shows kick off the fall 2024 season for the gallery and it promises to dazzle and prompt deep questions of our shared humanity. The exhibition underscores the profound connections that bind us all, celebrating the diversity and unity of human experience through the lens of Nnorom’s innovative artistry. This presentation is not only a testament to Nnorom’s unique vision but also a powerful reminder of the universal threads that weave through our collective existence.