With its debut exhibit which took place last year, Infinite Treasures II is about to commence again. Starting yesterday at the Terra Kulture, Lagos, 13 artists in the persons of Kolade Oshinowo, Reuben Ugbine, Abiodun Olaku, Bunmi Babatunde, Sam Ovraiti, Edosa Oguigo, Duke Asidere, Alex Nwokolo, Olusegun Adejumo, Fidelis Eze Odogwu, Diseye Tantua, Mufu Onifade and Segun Aiyesan have come together to show class and prove to the larger society that their unique works are a force to reckon with.
With five works by each artist, the idea is to set in place classical works in both painting and sculptures that will encourage other artists to always vie for the best. Thus Infinite Treasures have to come to show that the artists involved are pragmatic people; people who have chosen to showcase the best of their works. It is a way to prove that others can follow in their footsteps.
During the press briefing to let the world know what the group had in stock for art lovers, artists and art patrons, Abiodun Olaku, said, “We selected our works from the best we had. This group came together to prove that excellence is good in what we do. This year, we have expanded our group to have other younger artists. We had done distinctions one and two before. We had equally done Infinite Treasures once. Now it is time for us to do a perfect show that other artists would see and emulate.”
Adding their own voices to what Olaku said, other members of the group – Duke Asidere, Sam Ovraiti and Alex Nwokolo commended the resilience of the Infinite treasures group and insisted that it is now time for serious and committed studio artists to be distinctive. Ovraiti said, “it will be time for younger artists to key into what we do. We lead by example. We showcase first class woks and when we have to involve other artists who are ready to be part of us, we’ll not hesitate to include them”. For him, therefore criticism of art works; criticisms that help to point the way forward are part of what encourage the artist to make amends. “For me, the ones you do not see physically form part of the spiritual aspect of visuals. When you work, your mind is embodied with a lot of issues. It is what the eyes see that it can contemplate,” Ovraiti decided.
As the works mount the stage at Terra Kulture, the foremost concern of the participating artists is how to bridge the gap between them and curators. It is often noted that the friction that exists between these two affect the functionality of art business. However it is advisable if all the people concerned in the process of ensuring a successful exhibition close ranks for the sake of the sector.
Olaku, nonetheless, extended his hand of gratitude to Mr. Kunle Tinubu, owner of Trojan Estates, Lagos, for his support and love for the arts and the artists. “Yes Tinubu extended his grace of financial support to bring our objective to fruition in a most befitting manner expected of this cadre of artists.”
Essentially, these works have helped to deepen the search for a more conducive creative environment. This is why today’s outing is totally meant to espouse the frontiers of the visual art sub-sector of the economy. So, it is time to give big kudos to these fundamentalist artists for their foresight, resilience and relentlessness.