ARTISTS
Van Gogh x John Madu: Paint Your Path
Especially for this exhibition, Nigerian artist John Madu (1983, Lagos) created ten new works inspired by paintings by Vincent van Gogh from the museum collection. Van Gogh x John Madu: Paint Your Path was co-curated by the ReFramers.
In his vivid paintings, Madu explores themes including identity, globalisation, and cultural cross-pollination.
‘Revisiting Van Gogh’s works and reinterpreting his visuals in a West African context allows me to create a bridge between local narratives and a global audience.’- John Madu
John Madu takes elements of European art history and blends them with everyday imagery from West Africa. His paintings forge connections across cultures and resonate with people all around the world.
The artist drew on his West African perspective to create his own versions of Van Gogh’s paintings, introducing local narratives to a global audience.
This exhibition invites you to reflect on your own creative journey. Which influences shaped you? How do you move between different cultures, experiences and narratives? Together, the work of Madu and Van Gogh shows how art continues to speak, across boundaries of time and place.
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Especially for this exhibition, Nigerian artist John Madu (1983, Lagos) created ten new works inspired by paintings by Vincent van Gogh from the museum collection. Van Gogh x John Madu: Paint Your Path was co-curated by the ReFramers.
In his vivid paintings, Madu explores themes including identity, globalisation, and cultural cross-pollination.
‘Revisiting Van Gogh’s works and reinterpreting his visuals in a West African context allows me to create a bridge between local narratives and a global audience.’- John Madu
John Madu takes elements of European art history and blends them with everyday imagery from West Africa. His paintings forge connections across cultures and resonate with people all around the world.
The artist drew on his West African perspective to create his own versions of Van Gogh’s paintings, introducing local narratives to a global audience.
This exhibition invites you to reflect on your own creative journey. Which influences shaped you? How do you move between different cultures, experiences and narratives? Together, the work of Madu and Van Gogh shows how art continues to speak, across boundaries of time and place.
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The exhibition Van Gogh x John Madu: Paint Your Path opens at the Van Gogh Museum at the end of May 2025. This small-scale exhibition is a first for the museum: never before has there been a display of work by a contemporary African artist.
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