Alexis Galleries is proud to present King Jaja, the debut solo exhibition by Ibim Cookey. Known for his hyperrealist drawings and his ability to evoke striking portraits and lush, verdant compositions, Cookey’s new paintings presents a dramatic turn to history paintings premised on the life and reign of King Jaja of Opobo (1821–1891) in present day Nigeria.

At the Berlin Conference of 1884, European nations designated Nigeria as British territory. In Opobo (River State, South South Nigeria), King Jaja refused and insisted on taxing British traders. Deposed in 1887, King Jaja was jailed in Ghana and exiled to the United Kingdom. Cookey’s compositions capture key events in King Jaja’s armed resistance and in Nigeria’s modern history. This new body of work features lush, lively colours — from bright teals and blacks to luminous yellows, whites and luxuriant greens — where Cookey’s painterly approach reimagines King Jaja’s reign, downfall and legacy in a singular fashion.

“No single historical event has had as much impact on the shape of modern Africa than the one that took place between November 18, 1884 and February 23, 1885, in Berlin…”