The Newark Museum has one of the country’s oldest collections of African art. To kick off a two-year celebration of that collection leading up to its centennial in 2017, the Newark Museum has two new African art exhibitions “Royals & Regalia: Inside the Palaces of Nigeria’s Monarchs” and “Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars”.
Nigerian photographer George Osodi’s “Royals & Regalia: Inside the Palaces of Nigeria’s Monarchs” showcases large-scale portraits of Nigerian royal families and offers a look inside their everyday lives. The photographs are brilliantly colorful and capture a world that is unseen by most Nigerians. The museum has also interspersed items from its own collection from the region throughout the exhibition.
Moroccan-born artist Hassan Hajjaj’s “My Rock Stars” includes a video installation and photographic portraits of nine musical artists that have inspired him. Hajjaj’s portraits are very colorful and design-oriented. This multimedia exhibition combines photography, video, music, fashion and interior design, and also includes items from the museum’s African art collection as well.
The exhibitions are on view through August 9. Jesse North and I produced this piece for JerseyArts.com.
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