Esiri Erheriene-Essi in the shortlist of Prix de Rome 2019. Exhibition opens in Stedelijk
30 September 2019
Thrilled with the nomination of Esiri Erheriene-Essi, teacher at the Fine Arts department of the KABK. Erheriene-Essi is one of the four visual artists selected for the shortlist of the Prix de Rome 2019.
On 19 October, Prix de Rome Visual Arts 2019 will open to the public at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. The nominated artists, Sander Breure & Witte van Hulzen, Esiri Erheriene-Essi, Femke Herregraven and Rory Pilgrim, have developed new work especially for the Prix de Rome. Two weeks after the opening, Ingrid van Engelshoven, Minister of Education, Culture and Science, will announce the winner in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Máxima at the private award ceremony of the Prix de Rome Visual Art 2019 on 31 October at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam.
Erheriene-Essi’s (1982) figurative paintings are colourful depictions of everyday life that present implicit commentaries on society and history. Her paintings incorporate images, objects and documents from her personal archive, to voice and render visible forgotten or unseen historical narratives. Through the artist’s use of various styles and her keen eye for society, her paintings offer a new reading of moments from the past. The jury appreciates the richness and complexities of the artist’s paintings and her ability to activate and engage with urgent socio-political issues in a subtle way.
For the Prix de Rome, Erheriene-Essi highlights the ordinary moments from the lives of black people. This results in paintings that everybody can relate to, and that may encourage one to reflect on the lives of the portrayed people and the historical events they may have witnessed.
Prix de Rome Visual Arts 2019
19 October 2019 until 22 March 2020
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.*
Museumplein 10 – Amsterdam
*On 31 October the exhibition is closed from 1.30 pm to 4 pm due to the Prix de Rome award ceremony (by invitation only)
