Since 1995, the Universal Studios of Arts (USA), National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, has been providing professional succour for private visual art practitioners. The studios were established essentially to help visual artists have private studios to operate and ensure the growth of the sector. One man behind this noble course and chairman of the Universal Studios of Arts is Bunmi Babatunde. A renowned sculptor, he speaks to Edozie Udeze on the journey so far and the future prospects of the studios and more.
You are one of those who muted the idea of these studios. What was the basic idea behind the establishment of the Universal Studios of Arts?
Yes, I am the Chairman of the Universal Studios of Arts. I am also a sculptor, an artist. I have been practicing since 1983. The story of the USA is distant as far back as 1980s, at least by 1983. It was then the National Studios under the auspices of The National Gallery of Art, all of which were here under the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. We came here, came through different roots. Late Bisi Fakeye, Odion and some other individual artists were invited to be part of this place. Later the late Yusuf also invited these artists so that they could as well have what seemed like artists residence. This was the National Art Gallery. Other individuals came. I came in as a Youth Corper in 1983. It was natural for me to hibernate in the studios, working and all that, even when I was offered an office space. I wildly rejected it that I preferred to work in the studios. Then after that I was employed by the late director of culture, Garuba Asiwaju. I did a portrait of him which is still there now. So after that the man said I should be retained. Later I went to Yusuf to tell him I did not need the job.
But why did you decline the offer?’
I didn’t want the job. But he said to me what do you then want? I said to him, I want to be given a space at the National Gallery Studios to practice arts. That was in 1984 as I was finishing my Youths service. And he told me to go ahead to fulfill my wish. Biodun Olaku was a staffer of the Theatre then, the department of culture as it was then called. He would always come to the studios to work too, then later he became a full time studio artist with us. I later invited Felix Osieme to join us at the studios. Then we all began to work together. More people were to join as time went on.
Then after sometime, Joe Muza, a former director of the National Gallery of Art joined us as well. As at 1993 – 1994 the conditions of the studios was becoming a concern to everybody. It was always waterlogged each time it rained. It was so bad that the roofs also leaked. This also affected our works, so once we had a change of leadership at the National Gallery of Arts, in the person of Dr. Paul Chike Dike, he began to make changes.
Before then even, Frank Aig – Imoukhede was made the director of Federal Culture. He then wrote to force us to conform. He then sent one unsigned letter to make us conform. We considered that very insulting. It was insensitive of them to write such a letter to us. A number of people who were not working for government and are earning their living, you want to force them out? We were not squatters. The place was given to us officially by government. We then took them on. We wrote series of petitions, one sent to the then president, Ibrahim Babangida. We also sent one to the labour office.
In the end, there was a reply from the presidency asking them to rescind their decision. But they denied they did not sign or send us any letter. But still we won. They stayed the order and so we remained. However, when Dr. Dike came in 1995 or so, he called us and told us that he would repair those leakages and make the place more habitable.
So, what happened next?
Oh, he told us to look for a space, a more spacious space. This place was then available, a very spacious place for us. This place where we are now was an automobile workshop while the Theatre was being built. Then we approached the National Theatre management for their consent. Dike came in for us. He picked up the first rent on our behalf. he took all our finished works kept them for us, until we finished working to put the workshops in order.
What year was this?
This was in 1995. Of course, we immediately started training students who came to us for assistance. People came from all over. And so, when you come here, it serves as a corporate place, a sort of conglomerate of artists. This is why it is called Universal Studios of Arts (USA). Then it was just national studios. It had no structure of a vision. But we then put all those in place to make it a bigger place for all cadre of visual artists. We got it and gave it a shape of a union. It is for independent artists. Then a lot of things began to take shape too.
So how has it been since?
Oh yes, the studios have grown since 1995. We have made it to gain prominence in different spheres. In the training area, students come from all higher institutions where arts are offered to receive more training from us. Others come from the colleges of Education all over Nigeria. They came to train. Arguably we train up to 300 students in a year. These are people who come for industrial training, NYSC, and such other programmes to help them hone their art. We have trainees too who have not been to school to learn art. These people come to learn from the zero level. They come because they want to train as artists. These are not apprentices though. We do not train them to return to school, those who have not been to school. And many more. We trained some groups of artists, ten of them, from Ajegunle, at a point.
They later went back to school. All of them are graduates today. We look into peoples’ talents, we train them. We also have graduate trainees, those who studied other disciplines, but they want to be artists. These people come from different professional areas to be so trained. These can be lawyers, bankers and so on. Then there are graduate artists who want to hone their craft. They want to pick some professional ethics and skills. Then we have the last level of trainees. These are people mainly expatriates who come here to train to be artists. In all these we give our best to make them better artists. We thank God, we have sound artists, well-groomed to train those who come here for the same purpose. it is in either in painting or sculpture, we have some of the best in the land here in the USA. Some of our former students are even some of our colleagues now. It is so heartwarming indeed, so good. We also participate in art auctions, local and international. Some of our colleagues travel overseas for shows, for auctions. I just came back from one myself. It was good. We have our presence online too, very effective at that.
What made you to be a sculptor and not a painter?
It is a long story, which began at the Yaba College of Technology where I studied Art. I did my National Diploma at the Yaba College of Technology where I intended to specialize in painting or graphics. I had it in mind that it would be easier to get a job of I had specialized in one of the above two. In either an agency or government establishment, you could get a job as a graphic artist or a painter. But something remarkable happened to change all that. However, I knew I loved sculpture, and I was doing well in it. There was this last exhibition of our ND Programme in school. The person who was to supervise the exhibition was one of my lecturers, the late Isiaka Osime, a very strict teacher feared by the students. My work was by the door, but I forgot to put my name tag on it. While he passed it to come back later, I sneaked in to add my name there. It was then he looked back, saw me and asked me what I was doing. I was so scared but I told him all the same. He said okay, do you want to be a sculptor? Out of fear, I said yes. That was how I now began to concentrate on sculpture, became very good in it eventually. By the time the list came out for our HND, I saw my name in sculpture. He eventually became a very wonderful person to me, as a teacher, as a friend. It was my last industrial attachment in his house, that I made up my mind to pursue sculpture to its conclusive end.
What has it been like all these years being involved in sculpting and representing all sorts of images?
It has been a journey, a long but fulfilling journey. I must confessed that it has been accompanied with mercy, the mercy of God Almighty. I know many people with whom we started, very talented, gifted artists who for one reason or the other did not continue. They turned to other professions. I know a colleague with whom we left school together. I brought himto the USA to stay with us. We were working together; he is late now. Very tough and talented artist he was.
Then, that one is alive and still very active, is God’s grace and love. This is what makes one appreciate what one is doing. And I believe art is inspiration and inspiration comes from God. Imagination is also there and it is one thing God has given one. It is also in the Bible where God told Moses to lay hands on two individuals, one by one. Moses power of inspiration entered them both. I know that art is God given and so if one is able to flourish in it and prosper in it, it is the spirit of God that is backing one up. I see certain things and I know that God has a hand in it. And when I do them and they come out perfectly, God takes the glory, the praises. Especially when they are works people want to celebrate and acquire, I then look back to thank Him more. Over time, I have seen the progression of my works and I know that one has been able to navigate through stages. I have been able to stamp my identity like you said and say yes, this is Bunmi Babatunde… Oh, it has been a long journey that came with the mercy of God.
So far so good, we are still working, seriously being inspired by God Almighty.
What images strike you most as a sculptor?
Oh, yes, human anatomy. I love human anatomy a lot. I tell stories with and through anatomies, stories of life, of human existence – stories of love, of God’s peace. I set stories on peculiar situations – on civilization, on human interests. I celebrate human anatomy in almost all my works. So people tend to radiate with it and acquire it. It is so good to have such stories to tell; to relate to people.
I use other medium, fibre glass, wood and more so ebony woods. I use bronze, I cast my works in bronze. They all have their different tastes. We talk of ebony for instance, it has natural colours, black and white. It makes the work easier, look special and with some peculiar blend. My works used to be six feet and above. Now, I do works with less height. I have also done some mosaic works for Lagos State government. The works on the gate of the National Theatre, Lagos, was done by me. It is one of the most striking outdoor works I have done.
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