Azawala Art gallery presents "The Deliverance of Womban: The sacred passage to self" by Oya Arts.

• When: Saturday 9th November 2019 - Sunday 1st December 2019 

• Where: Azawala Cafe Gallery 55 Loughborough Road SW9 7TB 

The kaleidoscopic display unapologetically celebrates the colourful undertones of Afro-Caribbean feminine culture. This intimate collection of work will inhabit part of the gallery from 9th November - 1st December 2019. 

Commencing with an opening event on Saturday 9th November from 7:30 pm, there will be music, spoken word and a Q & A session with the artist. 

Through a range of acrylic paintings, you are invited to explore the natural divinity of the sacred feminine. Spectators will embark on the journey of "Womban" who has tapped into her full power and tuned into her authenticity. This exhibition showcases and celebrates this voyage and explores the relationship women have with their external and internal selves, through colour, texture, shape and movement.

This long-overdue celebration of work is the first exhibition to span the full breadth of Oya Arts practice. It brings together compositions that draw from the African ancestry of the West Indies and interact with facets of black British culture. These elements entwine with gender to showcase the plurality and complexity of identity. 

Speaking about what to expect at the exhibition, Alleyne said:

"I wanted to focus on a series of work that celebrated female divinity. As women, we go through so many cycles of self and not all of us reach a level of contentment in who we are. There are many external forces at work that prevent women from stepping on to the path of their divine potential, especially women of colour. Through my art, I want to remind all women of their power and their natural rhythm. I want to reinforce to all sisters that we are creators, warriors and nurtures. We are "womban. I want to embrace the stereotypes that have been used to cage us for so long and reappropriate them to denote freedom." 

Azawala Cafe Gallery has been an epicentre of West African and Caribbean Culture in Brixton for the past three years. The gallery hosts a vibrant collection of African artefacts and a collection of art and crafts from UK based artists but not always from a Black background. 

Jos Brient owner of Azwala Cafe Gallery said:

“ African lifestyle has now become increasingly popular especially in the art world and is now featured in everyday living through fashion, home furnishings and food. As an African it is important to recognise our history and culture but also portray and elevate ourselves to be represented as occupants of the 21 century.”