Last Friday, Lagos State set a new record in becoming the first state to organise an art expo with the trappings of a world class show. Opened at the Expo Hall, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos the maiden Rasheed Gbadamosi Eko Art Expo, which ran till last Sunday, attracted leading art connoisseurs, curators, artists and enthusiasts who described it as the beginning of a movement within the creative sector.
To Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the expo is “the beginning of an enduring relationship with the arts sector and the arts intelligentsia that make this sector such an important partner in the development of our state as Africa’s largest, busiest and perhaps most lucrative creative hub”.
He said that the government had commissioned several artists to decorate various parts of the state with landmark installations, which are in addition to the six art theatres that will open across the state before the end of the year.
He disclosed that very soon and with opportunities of making the expo an annual creative festivity, Lagos will indeed be a state with a vibrant artistic soul.
“Yet, this exposition shall immortalise the name of Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, an illustrious Lagos man, who served the state till the very end with his talent and passion for the arts and with his time and resources. There can be no better way to honour such a rare breed than to institute an annual arts fiesta in his memory.
‘’Today’s event, however, bears more significance. It is the first event of the New Year to remind the world that this year is special to us and that art will be an integral component of the golden jubilee anniversary of the state. Our administration believes that no nation or state can achieve its full potential without adequate attention to matters of heritage and culture or without due encouragement for the teeming youthful population that sees and seeks opportunities in the creative industries.
‘’This is why we are keenly interested in further development of our creative talents; in providing them with support and opportunities to be engaged; in helping to create platforms such as today’s to excel and compete globally, and in showing to the world that Lagos is more than ready to announce its arrival as the continent’s frontline destination of choice that gives arts and culture their due,” he said.
Governor Ambode said the art expo was organised to appreciate the great talents that abound in the state, honour the late Rasheed Gbadamosi, who was until his death co-chairman of Lagos at 50 Planning Committee, and to demonstrate that the state intervention in the creative sector does not exclude the visual art.
According to him, creativity is the most valuable asset in any progressive society, and progressive governments must embrace creativity. “We are committed, and we must reward contributors of creative ideas with incentives,” he added.
Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed described Governor Ambode as the most passionate governor about the creative industry, and that he has demonstrated it by enhancing security in the state, first governor to build a theatre in the state, renovating and rehabilitating National Theatre main hall, and Cinema Hall 1 and 2, as well as mid-wiving the building of a new museum for the country. He said Governor Ambode is creating the infrastructure that have been missing and thus bringing creative industry from back water to the front burner.
“By that I will be the only minister who will leave National Theatre better than he met it…He has been able to change the perception of people about creative industry. He has started a great movement,” he noted.
The minister however, lamented that he discovered systemic failure and lack of enforcement to protect intellectual properties when he assumed office. These, he said, have discouraged entrepreneurs and artists.
“We found out there was no data to build with, we don’t know the value of the industry and no link between the town and gown. There cannot be development in the creative industry without subsidy, mentoring and endowment,” he said, noting that about 300 artists will get grants to grow in the art.
According to him, Nigeria’s new oil is in the creative industry, which prevents rural-urban drift.
Prince Yemisi Shyllon also commended Governor Ambode saying ‘you have started a movement unconsciously. Everything done here today is what Gbadamosi stood for. ..If Lagos invest in creativity, it has the ability of generating millions of tourists and dollars.’
The expo is a good spread and mix of paintings, sculptures and photographs of old and new Lagos. The expansive hall of the Expo Conference Centre provided good ambience for the collections that are in three major sections; galleries, students section and photography (Dey Your Lane). But on the walls of the walkway to the hall are archival photographs of Lagos showing landmark places. These were mounted by the Lagos State Records and Archive Bureau.
Complementing these is Dey Your Lane, a collection of old and new photographs of Lagos that mirrors the energies and creativity of Lagosians, huge density and multicultural nature of the city as well as landmarks places such as Balogun market and Oshodi market. This collection was first exhibited in Belgium last year and curated by Azu Nwagbogu of African Artists Foundation (AAF)who described the event as unique. “The Belgium organisers that hosted Dey Your Lane were inspired by the energies and creativity in the photographs on Lagos. And it served as a bridge and an opportunity to tell our stories,” he noted.
Among the guests that attended the opening ceremony of the expo were Senator Solomon Adeola, former Governor of Ogun State Aremu Segun Osoba, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde, Mrs. Nike Okundaye, Mrs Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, Mrs Bolanle Austin-Peters, Kolade Oshinowo, Olu Jacobs, Habib Fashinro and Ejiro Onobrakpeya.
No fewer than 13 galleries featured contemporary artworks by emerging, established and up and coming artists. The galleries included SMO contemporary Arts, Rele Art Gallery, Nike Art Gallery, Henry Moweta, Mydrim Gallery, Pallette Art Gallery. Also on display were works by Polly Alakija, a popular artist with a strong interest in community service.
Curator of the expo, Mrs Sinmi Adesanya, praised the efforts of Lagos State government in putting together the first art expo of this magnitude, adding that the vision of artists’ community having an art museum would soon come to reality. The event was not all about visual art as impressive poetry and dance performances were presented by Titi Sonuga, Akeem Lasisi and Iwa Lewa. While Lasisi presented a poem His signature is bold and rare to eulogise the late Gbadamosi, Sonuga offered a lyrical poem on Sisi Eko.
Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine
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Eko Art Expo stirs new movement
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‘Breaking walls of segregation is panacea for recession
MILD RED Studios and The Edge Studio proprietor Nkechi Nwosu-Igbo, is an advocate of proactive partnership between corporate bodies and artists. Nwosu-Igbo, who is also the curator of the art exhibition segment of Lagos Book and Art Festival (LABAF), discusses with EVELYN OSAGIE, art-based solution for recession and the festival.
What solution is art offering in this New Year, given the recession experienced last year?
The solution that the arts have to offer is what we, as artists and our arts, have been saying for so many years that: “your voice must be heard”. The world is waiting for your message, whether as an artist or not. If you bring your knowledge and I bring mine, we can work hard and make this a better place. It is, however, funny how we treat history, historic monuments, culture and our arts. Imagine last year, a house that was more than 160 years old was knocked down in Lagos and nobody spoke up? We were all in our houses, talking. Should UNESCO tell us first that the house is a master piece before realising that it should not be knocked down? I am happy that more Nigerians are beginning to talk. But the arts and the artist(e)s have been speaking out on those issues even before the recession. And as always no one cared to listen.
Was it what informed the choice of the theme of the exhibition?
Yes. The theme, Who will blink first? is a known expression. In the face of terrorism, recession and anything you are facing, we are asking: “Who will give in first? When somebody is being oppressed, facing trying times, the question is “Who will blink first?” Although we are all suffering now and undergoing a tough time as a nation, will that make us stop being who we are and, suddenly, become criminals? The question to all of us is: “Who will give in first?”
Even though, the exhibition has closed, the message is evergreen because art is timeless. As I have said before, our arts, not just at last year’s LABAF, are calling us to be the Voice. You don’t have to be an artist, writer, famous person, or need a stage to have a voice. We should stop appointing someone to be our voice, but be the voice. Let’s do our part, play our role in our corners and shine where we are. We should stand against abuse and social ills. Even in caring for children, you are changing the world. Whatever small thing you do in your neighbourhood is changing the world.
How has been the experience curating LABAF’s art exhibition these past years?
These eight years have been amazing; although it is not an easy task calling the artists, giving them themes and ideas, and producing the works. But the response each year has always been great. As a festival, we always add a diary behind the catalogue, so the experience remains fresh in their minds until the next edition. Last year’s exhibition was special. The depth and pain expressed in last year’s was also quite different. And the response was great: many were moved by the works maybe because of the general feeling. For the artists involved, they said they felt they were coming from a personal place. Jelili was arrested, locked up and sent to prison earlier in the year. He wasn’t even around at the time, but immediately I gave him the title, he went to work. The experience fired his muse. He stood his ground against those oppressing him and he did not allow the circumstance to bring him down and he was released. His resilience and courage is also a lesson for us in such times, and suit the theme perfectly.
I noticed the colours of red and white were dominant in all the works. Was it deliberate?
Red represents the theme that runs throughout each artist’s works. But it wasn’t planned. It just shows the general feeling. I have always worked with red. Red represents pain. For Jelili, it represents anger. And you can also see the earthen theme on his frames and so on, especially in Aderemi’s works. Instead of using original frames, he chose wood, something that would show the earth. You’d also see earth colours on Jelili’s – on the head of his figures, the stones on the floor.
What was your installation about?
My installation was a mix of diverse media, entitled: I will huff and puff and blow your house down. It was drawn from ‘terrorist’ wolf that was disturbing the three pigs. The fairytale as a title signifies a social class system where the powerful keeps taking and taking. The shovel and the bucket represent the houses and the things we build around them that prevent us from moving forward. And I am saying, it’s time for you to knock them down. The cups turned upside in the exhibition are not a good omen. Cups are supposed to be turned up to take in liquid. But when they are empty and then turned upside down, it means one has finished drinking, doesn’t want more and wants to leave the space. I am saying that when you feel empty, turned down, that recession is biting so hard and you have nothing to offer, there’s no way you can know till you open yourself up. When you open up that is when opportunities will come to you. Don’t hide yourself or build the walls of segregation around. Breaking down those walls will help one to overcome recession. Tell yourself I am going to reach out; I am not going to riot or do unimaginable things because there is recession. When we start to realise that we have more in common, that is the only time we would start healing, and start reaching out to help one another. Only then will opportunities come to you because challenges help us show our true self. You can never know what you have to offer or what your neighbour has to offer if you don’t reach out.
How do you select your artists at LABAF? Because the way I see it, it is almost as if you recycled some of them…
Usually, apart for the steady LABAF family members, I am expected to bring in other artists within the year that have done very intense work that would match our theme. So, we sent out invitations and made our pick. Some years, we may feature eight or nine artists. But not last year. We featured the steady five. Because the schedule was pretty tight for me – I had travelled for a long time. So I went for people that not only have what it takes but those I know could deliver because of the short notice. I have worked with those guys for a long time. I’ve been with Jelili for 17 years at LABAF. Aderemi joined us so many years ago. -
Teecoks competition celebrates new winners
The annual literary competition, tagged: Teecoks writing competition, has celebrated its fresh winners.
The competition, which is organised for secondary schools pupils in Lagos, held its grand finale at Summit Auditorium in Agidingbi. The event, which had over 30 schools in attendance, was chaired by Mr Niyi Karunwi.
According to the founder, Miss Towunmi Coker, the literary initiative was inspired by her interest in promoting reading and writing culture for the teenagers. This year’s edition, which is in its fourth, was divided into two categories – poetry and prose. It had 99 participating schools. This year’s judges included Abigail Anaba, Lolade Ajekigbe, Chika Jones, Doyin Jaiyesimi and Dami Ajayi, who was the event’s guest speaker.
Adebogun Oluwatosin from Ansar-Ud-Deen College, Isolo, came top in the poetry category; while Ibukunoluwa Addy of Chrisland College, Idimu, came first in prose. Ogbonna Collins from Ajegunle Senior High School was first runner-up for poetry and Oyekola Ibukunoluwa from Providence Heights Secondary School, second runner-up.
Oguntayo Favour from Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, second and Adetayo Ayomide from Christ the King International School, Gbagada was third. The 20 candidates that came fourth to 10th place in poetry and prosealso were applauded for their efforts and went home with consolidation prizes and certificates.
Moved by the turn out, Miss Townumi said: “After winning the Association of Nigeria Authors/ National Examination Council award as a secondary school pupil in 2007, I wanted to encourage others to develop their giftand flare for writing.
Nigeria is known for producing wonderful writers and intelligent storytellers; I wanted to the standard to be maintained by the younger generations. And that was how the initiative was born.”
During event, there was the quiz session, which had the names of authors of African literatures as the focus. Many participants proved their intelligence by answering positively to the questions.
One of the judges, Madam Anaba, urged English and Literature teachers to coach pupils on the act of writing. “We noticed that many literary terms were wrongly used and many did not pay good attention nto the rules of grammar, etc.”
Despite the recession, according to the organiser, this year’s edition drew enormous support and sponsorship. They included Parresia Publishers, Mobile Oil Nigeria Plc, Yetunde Sarumi Collection, Piggybank, Roving Heights Books, among others. -
NTDC, ITC sign pact
In furtherance of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the development of tourism in Nigeria, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with International Tourist Choice Limited to build a world class Tourist Village at Bwari, Federal Capital Territory.
The Acting Director-General of the corporation, Mrs Mariel Rae-Omoh, expressed optimism about the project, which according to her will create jobs, wealth and bring in foreign tourists to Nigeria.
Rae-Omoh restated her commitment to ensuring a good relationship with the private sector and stakeholders in the Nigerian tourism industry, explaining that public private partnership will propel rapid development and promotion of the revenue-spinning sector.
The acting NTDC boss, who lauded the commitment of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and facilitator of the Bwari International Tourist Village project, Mr. Trust Henry Ogboi, noted that NTDC and ICT managements would meet every six months to appraise the progress of the project.
Ogboi, commended the readiness of the Rae-Omoh led-administration to work closely with the private sector and stakeholders in the Nigerian tourism industry.
He stressed that the Bwari Tourism Village project is not for the people of Bwari Local Government Area and the FCT alone, but for the whole country and the world at large.
The International Tourist Choice Limited boss disclosed that the Tourist Village, when completed, will embolden Nigeria’s name on the world tourism map.
Ogboi said that the tourist village will serve as a cultural liaison office for states in the country and nations in the world.
He said the partnership with NTDC would ensure speedy completion of the project, adding that “the Chairman of Bwari Local Government Area, Hon. Musa Dikko, has reduced the period for the completion of the project from five to three years.
Contained in the MOU signed at the NTDC headquarters in Abuja is that the corporation will partner with ITC to ensure the tourism village is built to a standard that will meet the international best practices, in a bid to making Nigeria the preferred tourism destination in Africa.
Clearly spelt out in the MOU also, is that NTDC will offer technical and administrative support, while ITC will attract sponsors, fund and ensure its successful completion. -
Lions, local govt offer free medicare
Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos in conjunction with Ikeja (Golden) Lions Club on Monday offered free eye screening and glasses, drugs and medication to the people of the area.
At the event, which held at the secretariat of the LG, no fewer than 100 people benefited from the gesture.
The council Sole Administrator Hon Ganiyu Isola Quadri said the event was a collaboration between the council and the club, adding that the local government contributed a lion share of the deal. ‘’We provided the logistics, the drugs, etc.,’’ he said. He praised the club for their assistance. He harped on the dividends of democracy, saying that the medication was one of them.
Lions’ President Mrs Caroline Adediran said the club provided over 100 eye glasses, costing over N120,000 each to the beneficiaries, adding that the money was raised from members. She said the event was part of the Lions objectives to assist the less privileged in the society. ‘’Lions Club help the poor. We have been doing that for 100 years, she added. So far, she said, Lions had provided medicare at Oregun and Shomolu local governments.
On why the group chose eye treatment, Chairman, Health Committee of the club Mrs Olajumoke Adebanjo said: ‘’We believe eyes are essential to everybody. So, we should not lose them.’’ Earlier, she said, the club held screening for diabetes, dewormed children and take care of the elderly.
A beneficiary Mr Samson Ogunjumo said: ‘’We thank Ikeja (Golden) Lions Club. We didn’t expect this. They tried a lot.May God give them more strength’’ -
Revolt of the ghost players
The players in this play, A Play of Ghosts by Uzor Maxim Uzoatu, are all actors starring in their own show to incite a long overdue revolution. Thus, there is a Producer, an Author, a Heroine, her brother and two prostitutes. All of them can barely eke out a living. A counterpoint to them is a vacuous landlord cum politician called Alhaji – representing the propertied class.
Using the stage to foment rebellions is as old as drama itself. Usually deployed against the state or constituted authority, actors, writers and the lot have since employed such tactics to avoid charges of sedition. There is the added advantage of making the audience understand that the entire transaction is to be taken at face value. Still, the underlying message(s) would have been passed along, however discreetly.
In A Play of Ghosts, Uzoatu has availed his characters of a readymade medium to vent their collective spleen on a tyrannical and unfeeling class – to great effect. From the onset, the characters call themselves ghosts, effectively making them and, by extension, the playwright not liable for any traffic on stage, however unpalatable the subject may be.
Most revolutions in the world often begin innocuously, from insignificant incidents that would later change the course of history. It is so in A Play.
After the death of their father, brother and sister, Mentalo and Victoria, are unable to pay their rent. There is already a letter of eviction from the landlord, Alhaji. Thrown in the mix is a misty-eyed lover by name Kema who is also the author. The landlord himself is a secret admirer of Victoria. He is a polygamist but Victoria does not wish to be spouse number X.
Utterly besotted with Victoria (Heroine), Kema lacks the required resources to start a lasting relationship with her. Worse still, Mentalo reviles him because of his indigent condition, not that Mentalo is any better than Kema, though. On her part, Victoria is torn between his love for Kema and her desire to better her situation. Prompted by Mentalo, she opts for the second. Her life takes on a downward spiral from that point, as she graduates from being a hard-drinking murderess to the proprietress of a bordello.
The grist for any drama worth staging – conflict, love, death, confrontation and resolution – are so expertly woven together by Uzoatu that readers get a sense of what minimalism ought to be. The characters are no less engaging.
For instance, Kema is as passionate as an artiste in love as he is fiery in his revolutionary declamations. “For how many more generations will poverty and oppression have their home in this land?” he asks rhetorically. “Time was when our black brothers told us they were fighting the white oppressors because of their belief in freedom, liberty, emancipation…We chased the white man away and put our black brothers in his place. Where are we today?”
Kema provides an answer himself. “Some of our brothers have become rich. But between them and the rest of us all you can see is enough space to take up the earth and beyond, barren space that enlarges geometrically.”
Broken by life and circumstances, some of the characters take to drinking and whoring – with biblical and philosophical justification. “Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress…” Mentalo consoles himself, quoting the book of Proverbs, but never for once forgetting the imminent war against the oppressors.
For sheer bravado and originality, Mentalo – though his name suggests a loony – has a certain appeal to readers. Educated unemployed idlers, for instance, would most certainly identify with him. On the monotony of prostitution, Menlato quips thus: “They are always busy repeating the same thing,” what he sees as “absolute abuse of being busy!”
Almost every page in A Play drips with such brilliance. Lola, one of the prostitutes lodged in Hotel Victoria, where most of the action takes place, dismisses Mentalo’s misogyny as a combo of “the tough talking of emergency revolutionaries with the rabid sentimentality of an undersexed refugee.”
With irreverent humour but never farcical, often mordant wit and a knack for philosophical ripostes, Uzoatu presents credible characters who understand why they must rid themselves of the shackles of oppression.
A sagely figure, Producer is the intellectual arrowhead of the revolution though he sometimes acts as a leash on the excesses of others. He owns the house on Kimathi Street – a nod to The Trial of Dedan Kimathi by Ngugi wa ‘Thiongo – a sort of training school for prospective revolutionaries. Where his disciples are hotheaded, Producer offers some bit of temperance, ever ready with a wise counsel or protection for a potential victim.
In the closing scene, Mentalo charges at Alhaji for killing Victoria but the politician/ landlord is saved physically by Producer. Kema tells Mentalo to look beyond doing physical harm. “We fight for life and victory does not exist by itself. Victory lies in struggle and the will to go the distance.”
Brief as it is – 64 pages in all – A Play… will surely go a long way in the history of revolutionary drama as one of the most potent depictions of class struggle between the rich and the have-nots in Nigeria. -
Chinese Service Centre marks Spring Festival
Chinese nationals in company of their friends and relations last Friday gathered at the Banquet Hall, China Town in Ojota, Lagos to herald the eve of Chinese Lunar New Year. The occasion, which was put together by the Oversee Chinese Center in Lagos featured live music, miming, raffle draw and fashion parade.
It also featured Chinese cuisine such as dumpling, Yue, Shizi Tóu or lion’s head, Songshu Guiyu or Mandarin fish and exhibition of art works.
The hosts used the occasion to show how to prepare Chinese native foods as well as the cooking of some of the cuisines. Intermittently, the occasion in far away China was beamed live to those in Nigeria in order to be part of the fun.
Head of Chinese Overseas Service Center in Nigeria Mr. Jackson Sun Gouping who doubles as the founder of the China Town in Lagos, spoke on the importance of New Year in Chinese history.
“Chinese never toy with the full celebration of the new year. Majority of our nationals has gone home to China, and many in the cities in China will definitely go to their rural and traditional communities to celebrate the season. But those who are here today are gathered here to celebrate with our families, friends and wives of the Chinese. I mean women who are married to the Chinese nationals and same for men from China who are married to Nigerians. It is time to celebrate. We cherish Nigeria as well as we cherished and loved China, it is time to celebrate together”.
“We are delighted that President Mohammadu Buhari sent us his goodwill message. We too wish him good tidings as he paddled the boat of Nigeria economy. From home, our Minister of Chinese Overseas Service Center,Qiu Yuanping also sent her greetings to us” .Jackson Gouping who has spent almost 40 years in Nigeria said with enthusiasm.
Chinese Consul General in Lagos office, Mr. Chao Xiaoliang said that coming together calls for deeper celebration.
“Nigeria and China have come a long way. We share a lot of similarities. First, we have same National Day, which is October 1. Also China is the most populous country in Asia and the world, and Nigeria is the most populous black nation in Africa, and the world.
“China is the largest economy in Asia while Nigeria is a leading economy in Africa. We share a lot of similarities in culture and strategic knowledge about the international situation and economy. In the trade area, the trade volume between China and Nigeria has grown fast in the past few years. I wish everyone a happy New year” Chao who went round to greet the guests was full of delightful moments throughout the ceremony,” he said.
He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari through his Media aide Femi Adesina sent a good will message to the Chinese communities in Nigeria before travelling out.
“On behalf of the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I want to express my warmest greetings to you on celebrating the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese Lunar New Year. We know that it is the most important traditional festival for the Chinese. It is an occasion for family reunion.
“Families will be coming together, often travelling many miles to revive great family values, reflect on the blessings of the past year and look forward with hope to the New Year,” Mr. President said.
According to head of Human Resources Huawei Nigeria, Mrs. Dorothy Johnson and daughter of Nigerian former Ambassador to China, late Ambassador Victor Chibundu, ‘in China, Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac format. And this year is that of the Rooster.
“It has started now and will last until Feb 15, 2017. It is time for enjoyment, celebrations and giving out to the humanity. At home in China, You can hardly see people trading in China now, absolutely nobody. Everybody will be in a celebration mood. Because the festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the new year, this why we are gathering together at the popular China town here in Lagos” Dorothy said.
Minister for Overseas Chinese Affairs Office, Qiu Yuanping, had her goodwill message televised for the audience as she wished them good health.
A director at WEMPCO, a well-known multinational company in Nigeria Phillip Tung was happy that orphans were in attendance as well as some of the needy. “The purpose of gathering here is to felicitate with each other and reach out to those that cannot afford such” Phillip, a philanthropist reasoned.
Present at the event were children of Ijamido (orphanage) Home, Sango Otta. Also, pupils of The Pinefield Montessori School, Lekki, Lagos who were on excursion to the China town were given the opportunity to savour the moment. Red envelopes also known as gift bags were given to the needy in accordance with Chinese tradition.
A staff of the Oversee Service Chinese Center in Lagos, Mrs. Precious Nzewunun said that red in China tradition is to ward off evil and bring in good luck. There were live music, miming, raffle draw and fashion parade. -
Osogbo Art @ 50 : Golden salute for trailblazers
The Osogbo Art School has celebrated its golden age with pomp and ceremony at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) in Osogbo, Osun State and the Thought Pyramid Arts Centre in Abuja. The golden anniversary exhibition, which came after almost a three-year wait, also featured the launch of the centre’s journal and DVD of Orisa Dances. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
IT was an echo from the past. Activities that shape contemporary Nigerian art dating back to the early 60s, were highlighted at Osogbo and Abuja when a group exhibition of paintings by pioneer members of the Osogbo Art Movement was held to mark its 50th anniversary. The golden anniversary also offered an opportunity for the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU) to return to the consciousness of Nigerians after years of inaction. The three-in-one event was held at the CBCIU in Osogbo and the Thought Pyramid Arts Centre in Abuja, on January 17 and 24.
Interestingly, when the late German linguist and teacher, Ulli Beier and his wife, Georgina, began organising art workshops in the early 60s for talented young people in and around Osogbo, little did they realise they were laying a strong foundation of what would become a global phenomenon. The products of the very successful 1964 workshop included Muraina Oyelami, Jimoh Buraimoh, Taiwo Olaniyi (Twins Seven-Seven), Adebisi Fabunmi, Rufus Ogundele and Jacob Afolabi who became foundation members of the Osogbo Art Movement. The Osogbo leg of the exhibition featured 23 artworks by three of the pioneer artists: Muraina Oyelami, Jimoh Buraimoh and Adebisi Fabunmi.
Chairman, Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, described the anniversary as a significant achievement by the movement, recalling that what started as an innocuous experiment on the elasticity of the creative mind and its innate ability to adapt to the vicissitudes of the environment has become a global phenomenon.
“The genesis of what is known as the Osogbo School of Art today is rooted in man’s belief in his own ability to re-invent itself with expressions, symbols and representations in form of murals, paintings, sculptures, beads, textiles and other art forms catching the global attention. What we are gathered here to celebrate today is also the fertile imagination of one man, Ulli Beier (of blessed memory), and his partners in thought, late Susanne Wenger and Georgina Beier.
“It is very interesting that their experiment in informal education metamorphosed into an art movement that has survived for more than half a century. From early to middle 60s, just after Nigeria’s independence in what we can truly call an age of innocence, Osogbo art began to have a trademark that uniquely distinguished it from other art forms. The Osogbo artistic movement, as an informal art offering, coincided with the advent of the formal art school referred to as the Zaria Rebels. However, this did not in any way diminish its independent accomplishment,” he said.
According to Oyinlola, Osogbo Art has boosted the corpus of knowledge in the field of creative arts and validated the richness and vitality of Yoruba culture as part of the common heritage of mankind. “Osogbo Art has become a trademark comparable to any other art form anywhere in the world. This is why we celebrate the 50 years of such a unique brand,” he added.
According to Oyelami, the exhibition was actually planned to hold in 2014, which would have been 50 years of Osogbo Art Movement. But because of lack of sponsorship, it was stalled until till now. “The movement started in 1954. One of the main reasons for the exhibition is to remember the historical background of how it all started and the contributions of major catalysts such as Georgina Bier, Ulli Bier and the forerunners of Mbari Ibadan,” he said.
Among the guests at the event were Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, who represented the Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Nigeria’s former Ambassador to UNESCO, Prof. Michael Omolewa, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof Remi Adeoti; Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi; the Oba of Ilobu, Ashiru Olayoye Olaniran; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi who sent a representative; and Legushen of Ode-Ule in Ogun State, Oba Adesina Adekoya, the chief presenter.
In Abuja last Tuesday, the event was a bigger one as more works from the movement were exhibited in a much more convenient venue. Prince Oyinlola was represented by the secretary of the Centre, Mr. Femi Adelegan, with Director-General, National Gallery of Art, Abdullahi Muku, Acting Director-General Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation Mrs Mariel Rae-Omoh; Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments Abdallah Usman; and Director- General, National Council for Arts and Culture Mrs Dayo Keshi in attendance.
It also provided opportunity for arts enthusiasts and collectors as well as culture workers in the ministry, departments and agencies to savour the rich collection. In particular were the works of Twin Seven-Seven, which are a rare expression of the late musician’s inner feelings about his environment and the Yoruba heritage. Of the five large panels of pen ink on wood cut by Twin Seven-Seven, two which are abstract in composition were red tagged few minutes after opening of the exhibition. Other works include Merry maker, Osun (water Goddess), Character, The entertainer, Village Life under Cocoa tree and Blessed Voyager. The works which are well preserved behind framed glass simply refresh viewers’ memories of the rich heritage of the Yorubas, especially the place of Osun in the socio-economic life of the people.
Unlike Twin Seven-Seven, Oyelami a poetic painter of a sort presented some of his recent works that also reflect his style and subjects sometime influenced by folktales. His colour scheme remains a high point of his paintings that show stylised faces and human figures. Among his works on display were Single parenthood, Opaque journey, Approaching summer, Beauty of old, Pensive mood, Princess and Habitable slum. While Buraimoh presented his regular beads painting such as Peacock, Togetherness, Reunion and Return of drummers that are very contemporary, Adebisi Fabunmi had three untitled works.
Rufus Ogundele though late had works produced between 1987 and 1993 and it included Animals in the jungle, Dancers, Puppetiers, Queen, Beauty in wilderness and Man in trance. There are strong indications that the travelling exhibition will be heading to US later in the year. -
Diary of a noble self employed naija dame (8)
By Bola Bilesanmi – Beebee
On waking up I picked up my phone I had twenty Missed calls. Alas who could want to speak to me so badly? After leaving Company Xs office, I put my phone on silent mode. I had no intention of taking any call; everything else would have to wait.
I had no strategy for dealing with the situation on hand, I decided to go to a friend’s place, he has a beautiful place and garden. I, on the other hand, live in a concrete jungle, who will ‘dash’ me a garden? Where I live, the philosophy is, if there is space build something.
As I sat in the garden, a frog came leaping towards me, I thought to myself, am I one of your kind? Instead of attracting the male specie, I am attracting frogs. Then I remembered the story of the princess kissing the frog and it turned to be a Prince. So I beckoned the frog back, maybe if I plant a kiss on the frog, he would become my knight in shining armour. E no dey easy to dey single o.
So I continued to sit o, I looked at the well manicured lawn, different plants, different colours and different fruits. I looked at the nails of my friend they were chapped, ‘me’ I no fit; my long nails are not designed for garden work. I had to remind myself why I was there.
I spotted some ants scuttling around, we are to learn from the ants, they toil all winter and summer, I looked at them, they were similar, as for ‘me’ o, I have to be different, must stand out in the crowd, that is why I carry my LV bag and Iphone. These are the separating factors. Let us not deceive ourselves that every man is born equal, ‘mba’, some are more equal than others.
My thoughts kept on wandering but I needed to harness it back to the issue on hand. I looked again at the beauty of the garden; it was beautiful, just like me. Its not that anybody has complimented me on my beauty, but we are told “call the things that are not as though they are” so daily I say I am beautiful, I wear fine clothes, I walk like a model, and I am quite tall, I tower over people. I am five feet five inches and I wear high heeled shoes. When I am asked how tall I am. I always say six feet. Please do your sums five feet five inches plus five inches equal six feet.
I was distracted by my phone, I looked at the number it was not familiar one, I was not eager to pick up an unfamiliar number; I assumed it was POS so I did not pick. One strategy I had in this whole saga was to keep him in suspense. As the expression goes ‘ he has cooked beans’.
After sitting in my friends garden for almost three hours, I realised I had not come up with a strategy, no inspiration, but I felt more relaxed. I must have a garden when I become rich, not accomplishing much I packed all my stuff back into my bag, ready for the next inspiring location. Was it a day well spent? I think the answer would be in the affirmative. I made my journey back to the concrete jungle.
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Ode to a master artist
In this tribute, an avid Lagos art collector, Jess Castellote, writes on the life and times of one of Nigeria’s contemporary artists, the late Ben Osaghae, who died last Monday.
It is less than four months since we mourned the death of Sammy Olagbaju, less than two since Rasheed Gbadamosi passed away and now, we are confronted with the death of Ben Osaghae. Rasheed, I knew him well, but Sammy and Ben were personal friends. In 2012, with the help of Sammy, I published a book: “Nigerian Contemporary Art in Lagos Private Collections”. Just a couple of years ago, Akinyemi Adetunji and I wrote “Ben Osaghae. Visual Chronicles of a society in flux”, a book monograph on Ben.
Working on these books, I spent countless hours with both of them. I enjoyed their company, I learnt from them and they offered me access to their artworks. It was a privilege to have Sammy telling me stories about when, how and where he acquired some artworks. It was also a great fortune to let Ben talk at length, as he usually did when he was at ease, about the why and how on his works. He was a witty person and his conversations were always sprinkled with proverbs, words in pidgin and ordinary expressions. Though, frequently, he tended to be ponderous and philosophical, he could also be poetic and light. Chatting with him was never dull.
Osaghae was probably the most gifted draughtsman Nigeria has had in recent times, but, above all, he was a storyteller. He was the artist-seer and the artist-prophet of his society. Usually, there was a “narrative” in his works, but one that is not at all linear, unequivocal or direct. In his works, there is always an ambiguity of meaning that challenges the viewer to interpret metaphors and discover subtle references. He was not one to belabour his paintings with precise or accurate details in an attempt to get his message across; he merely suggested. Some could read his works as lazy, or even incomplete, but it is this quality that lends itself to multiple interpretations.
Ben Osaghae was, without doubt, one of the most prominent figures of a generation of Nigerian artists born in the years around the country’s independence in 1960. For three intense decades, Osaghae chronicled the adventures and misadventures of his land and people; he, like few of his colleagues and contemporaries, remained attentive to social and cultural developments in his environment. For the abstract expressionists of the middle part of last century, there was the art work and the viewer. Mark Rothko refers to “the consummated experience between picture and onlooker. Nothing should stand between my painting and the viewer.” For Osaghae there was another element: social reality; and the painting was a medium between the onlooker and that reality. Through his works, he communicated; he commented on what was happening around him. He straddled the thin divide between the artist as a creator of self-referential objects and the artist as a communicator.
He was always on the lookout for societal or personal miseries and joys, with a full awareness of the limitations and weakness of human nature. Osaghae captured them sometimes with the cool detachment of a historian and other times with the fire of a social reformer. I remember well how, when showing me in his studio a painting on NEPA, he exclaimed in his usual forceful manner: “How can somebody continue painting landscapes when we do not have electricity for days?” Osaghae’s works are inextricably linked to the society in which they were produced. They are “political”, not because they propose specific, partisan, solutions to the organization and government of society but because they always refer to the “polis”.
Sammy and Ben were a special collector and a special artist. Sammy, genuinely, cared about art and artists. He did not put together a wonderful collection as an investment or as vehicle to proclaim his status and feed his ego. Ben cared about art and he cared about his fellow citizens. Few Nigerian contemporary artists have been so independent from the dictates of the art market as he was. Trying to please the market was not a motivation for him. At times, he was a chronicler, telling us a story; at other times, he was a voyeur. His paintings were, most frequently, an instrument of social critique. He painted with a “photographic perspective.” He did not describe in detail; he merely suggested.There is great empathy in the way he looked at the people represented in his works. He documented their struggles, and offered a social commentary. In his animal series, for example, he satirises corrupt politicians that use their positions for personal enrichment. His figures are always close to the viewer, like snapshots at close range. He gives great attention to expressions, feelings and dramatic gestures, drawing inspiration from the events of daily life. Frequently, his figures are in movement, and he repeatedly looks at children at play.
As he matured artistically – especially in his best period, 2000-2010-, his human figures became more and more emotionally charged. In trying to make meaning of the cluster of forms, lines and splashes of colours on the canvas, I was tempted to tilt the painting, flip it on its sides, rotate it or, at the least, cock the head and angle of vision. A recurrent preoccupation with the human condition pervades his works. For years, there were always groups in his paintings. Only later, does the solitary human figure appear.
In Osaghae’s works, the “psychological distance” between the viewer and the scene is collapsed. The viewer finds himself immersed inside the scene.
Osaghae told me many times how he painted from memory. He was able to do this because he was an excellent draughtsman with an uncanny gift for portraying the human figure even in the most contorted positions or from the most unusual angles. After his first, formative years, Ben never painted a landscape, a self-portrait. He did not paint out-doors. He preferred to work in his studio, to sketch some ideas from memory and develop them on the canvas. His works sometimes are humorous, playful and light-hearted, but they are never trivial. Osaghae’s passionate and intense personality does not leave much room for shallow artworks reduced to mere decoration. With every painting he wanted to say something. He wanted to compel the viewer to confront a situation and take a position. There was no room for neutrality. That is why a formal analysis of his paintings is never enough to understand and fully appreciate them.
In his works there is no horror vacui the fear of emptiness that seems to grip many contemporary Nigerian artists of more “decorative” inclinations. He is not afraid to leave large areas of the canvas covered with a single background colour. For this reason his human figures frequently seem to be “floating” in an indeterminate context, detached from their surroundings. Colour plays a central part in all his works, but drawing is the anchor that keeps them in place. His lines become outline, sign, sketch, contour, text, graffiti or boundary. In his best works, the line remains clear underneath the ragged edges of the colour masses. Because of the flat backgrounds the characters of his paintings are brought to the foreground. He painted with sweeping brushstrokes and great gestural intensity. Undoubtedly, this way of painting helped him transmit the emotional intensity of the subjects.
Art historians will need some time to write about Osaghae’s legacy, his place in contemporary Nigerian art, his influence on other artists and his contribution to the Nigeria art discourse. But, undoubtedly, in his three decades of artistic production, he left a mark.