isee.art
“Echoes of the Ancestors 3.1 and 3.2” are from the same series as 1.1 and 1.2. The face is built from interlocking shapes, with eyes that carry a knowing calm, watching without urgency. The crown-like pattern along the top hints at ritual or symbolic status, recalling the way head adornments in many African cultures signal identity, lineage, or spiritual significance. Scratches and marks across the surface expose the raw wood beneath, giving these works a lived-in texture that speaks to history, touch, and the imperfect beauty of handmade work. The handwork in these pieces is especially meaningful to me. Growing up, “hand-made” was something I placed little value on, often seeing it as a marker of struggle or poverty. What I once devalued has now become central to how I create and how I reconnect with where I come from. I’ve come to understand its richness, the heritage, skill, and cultural memory held in every gesture. These figures stand like my guardians, rooted in ancestral aesthetics but shaped through my own voice. They embody the ongoing dialogue in my work between tradition, memory, and reinterpretation. A way of honouring my origins while continuing to redefine them through my own hands.
Shyne Eghosa (b. 1975) is a Nigerian-born, self-taught artist whose work explores memory and identity through bold, textured compositions. Since beginning to paint in early 2023, he has developed a raw and expressive style rooted in Neo-Expressionism, Art Brut, and a Trans-Cultural approach where African heritage and European diasporic experience collide. Working primarily on wood panels with acrylics, oil sticks, pastels, and fabric, he draws inspiration from traditional African masks and crafts, as well as artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Klee, and Manolo Valdés. Many viewers relate his work to Basquiat, though his palette and forms also reflect the modernist spirit of Barcelona, where he currently lives. His choice of wood as a primary surface is rooted in childhood memories grounding his practice in personal history and an approach that embraces the raw, unrefined nature of the materials themselves. He is the founder of Unmaking Art Studio, a nonprofit space in Barcelona where a diverse group of emerging artists come together to share ideas, create, and exhibit. For him, “unmaking” is not about destruction, it’s about stripping away what no longer fits and giving shape to something more honest. As he puts it: “My art is a conversation between cultures, history, and my personal journey. Each piece is a step forward in discovering who I am.” Though new to the art scene, Shyne's work was selected for the juried Biennale di Chianciano 2024 in Tuscany, Italy. He has also exhibited in various group shows in Barcelona, and currently has work with Tobian Art Gallery in Florence, Italy.
“Echoes of the Ancestors 3.1 and 3.2” are from the same series as 1.1 and 1.2. The face is built from interlocking shapes, with eyes that carry a knowing calm, watching without urgency. The crown-like pattern along the top hints at ritual or symbolic status, recalling the way head adornments in many African cultures signal identity, lineage, or spiritual significance. Scratches and marks across the surface expose the raw wood beneath, giving these works a lived-in texture that speaks to history, touch, and the imperfect beauty of handmade work. The handwork in these pieces is especially meaningful to me. Growing up, “hand-made” was something I placed little value on, often seeing it as a marker of struggle or poverty. What I once devalued has now become central to how I create and how I reconnect with where I come from. I’ve come to understand its richness, the heritage, skill, and cultural memory held in every gesture. These figures stand like my guardians, rooted in ancestral aesthetics but shaped through my own voice. They embody the ongoing dialogue in my work between tradition, memory, and reinterpretation. A way of honouring my origins while continuing to redefine them through my own hands.
Shyne Eghosa (b. 1975) is a Nigerian-born, self-taught artist whose work explores memory and identity through bold, textured compositions. Since beginning to paint in early 2023, he has developed a raw and expressive style rooted in Neo-Expressionism, Art Brut, and a Trans-Cultural approach where African heritage and European diasporic experience collide. Working primarily on wood panels with acrylics, oil sticks, pastels, and fabric, he draws inspiration from traditional African masks and crafts, as well as artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Klee, and Manolo Valdés. Many viewers relate his work to Basquiat, though his palette and forms also reflect the modernist spirit of Barcelona, where he currently lives. His choice of wood as a primary surface is rooted in childhood memories grounding his practice in personal history and an approach that embraces the raw, unrefined nature of the materials themselves. He is the founder of Unmaking Art Studio, a nonprofit space in Barcelona where a diverse group of emerging artists come together to share ideas, create, and exhibit. For him, “unmaking” is not about destruction, it’s about stripping away what no longer fits and giving shape to something more honest. As he puts it: “My art is a conversation between cultures, history, and my personal journey. Each piece is a step forward in discovering who I am.” Though new to the art scene, Shyne's work was selected for the juried Biennale di Chianciano 2024 in Tuscany, Italy. He has also exhibited in various group shows in Barcelona, and currently has work with Tobian Art Gallery in Florence, Italy.
