Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

dele jegede seems to construct and reconstruct his perception of life on the interrogation of these opposing principles. Whereas he often aspires towards the utopia in his art and scholarship, he, nevertheless, depicts this by decrying the ills of the society. For example, in an attempt to promote social equity and demand for the dividends of democracy in Nigeria, he held an exhibition titled Paradise Battered in 1986. 

Prof. Dele Jegede’s face is iconic, his mien is defined with immense dignity and his demeanor, characterised by inimitable assertiveness. He may not be physically massive, but he carries an air of poise and self-respect.

Attaining the age of 70 does not betray any physical fitness. In spite of the slight furrows on his forehead and the deepening lines etched on both sides of his upper lips, Prof dele jegede’s face remains robust.

The thick dark hair on his head contrasts sharply with the bushy white beards that delineate his sagacious visage. Each strand of his gray beards mirrors years of dynamic assiduity, scholarship and creativity. dele jegede’s introspective looks epitomises remarkable erudition, affective profundity and technical dexterity.

In order to contextualise Prof. dele jegede’s genius, his biography will be interrogated, thereby revealing reasons behind the success of the sage.

Born in 1945 in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State of Nigeria, dele jegede is one of the reputable scholars that emerged from the ancient town notable for many significant hills. Indigenes of Ikere-Ekiti are appraised as Omo Oloke Meji tako tabo. This is in reference to two enormous hills known as Orole and Olosunta whose magnificence serves as landmark for the agrarian community. The two hills are mythically personified as male and female; thereby lending credence to the humanistic philosophy that defines reality by two opposing principles. Africans in particular uphold this philosophy in order to create social and spiritual balance.

The concept of dualism recognises the delicate balance between life and death, good and evil, day and night, right and wrong, male and female among other uncountable social, moral, religious, political and economic choices we make daily. dele jegede seems to construct and reconstruct his perception of life on the interrogation of these opposing principles. Whereas he often aspires towards the utopia in his art and scholarship, he, nevertheless, depicts this by decrying the ills of the society. For example, in an attempt to promote social equity and demand for the dividends of democracy in Nigeria, he held an exhibition titled Paradise Battered in 1986. Semantically speaking, Paradise connotes the utopia, but dele jegede conceptually created an impression of chaos and disorderliness by adding the word battered in order to admonish the societal ills.

dele jegede and Niyi Osundare are both indigenes of Ikere-Ekiti, and they are acclaimed wordsmiths. Prof. Niyi Osundare is an award winning poet and scholar whose splendid cultural verses resonate all over the literary spaces. dele jegede as a visual artist does not only draw and paint with unusual formal candour, his numerous scholarly publications are marked by rhythmical prose. He employs poetic devices of assonance and alliteration in order to maximise critical reflections in art. Typical of his formal and thematic articulation of human existence is the poem written in 2013 during a healing process after suffering a great loss. The effusion of passion in the verses is so emphatic that a reflective reader becomes schooled in stoicism.

The appropriation of the childhood memories and the communal perception of Orole and Olosunta hills seem to serve as poetic metaphor for both dele jegede and Niyi Osundare.

Both are very critical of the societies they lived in, and often lampoon the Nigerian system in order to accelerate a more socially and economically balanced nation.

dele jegede attended the famous Yaba College of Technology, Yaba-Lagos, Nigeria in the late sixties and later earned his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria in 1973. He bagged a First Class Honours and won many prizes, therefore attesting to his studiousness and brilliance. He immediately joined some of the hardworking art graduates of the Zaria School, who obtained their degrees in the 1970s to form the nucleus of what could be referred to as the second generation of Zarian artists. Notable among his contemporaries are the late Sina Yusuf, his close friend Kolade Oshinnowo, David Dale, late Gani Odutokun and Joshua Akande among a few others. Most of their works in the 1970s and even till now are naturalistic with varying degrees of stylisation. They schooled in the post-independence era when Nigerians were still celebrating the crude oil boom. They, therefore, embraced joyous and profane themes rendered with remarkable graphic and painterly skills. However, dele jegede was more critical of the Nigerian society using the outlets offered by the various newspapers he worked to create cartoon strips such as Flower Power (1979-1986) and Kole the Menace (1984 – 1989). The two major characters, Bobby in Flower Power and Kole Omole in Kole the Menace were cast as precocious children, who parodied the systemic failures of the Nigerian state during the military dictatorship. The objectification of children to satirise the state of the nation was intentional.

dele jegede used cartooning to play down the acerbic criticism of the ferocious dictators. The funny juvenile characters of Bobby and Kole lightened the otherwise ‘subversive’ content of the strips. The fluidity of lines and the rapidity of the pen drawing of the cartoon drawings cast dele jegede among the greatest draughtsmen in Nigeria.

By 1986 when dele jegede exhibited Paradise Battered, he declared a revolutionary manifesto to uphold nothing else but social and political activism, using radicalism as the expressive content of his art. He, therefore, elevated his artistic offerings beyond formal aesthetics to nuanced thematic orientation. dele jegede explored issues that were problematic with the government and the Nigerian people by highlighting the despicable aspects of national realities.

The metropolitan city of Lagos became his constantly referenced metaphor for the emergent negative urbane characteristics, attitudes and values. He illustrated figures in comical forms while contextualising the systemic rot within the society. His excellent skills in draughtsmanship afforded him to break the rule of proportion. He often elongated the human figures and cast images in carefree and open ended compositions. The titles of his works and even exhibitions parodies the popular grammatical verbal and vocal lingo often found in the expressive culture of Lagos city.

dele jegede did not only consolidate himself as a respectable modernist artist in Nigeria, he also pursued scholarship by obtaining his master’s degree and PhD in Art History at the Indiana University, U.S.A in 1981 and 1983 respectively. Roy Sieber, an erudite professor of African art supervised his PhD project. His thesis in 1983 was perhaps the first on contemporary Nigerian Art. He has since published numerous well researched articles on African art history and on African Diaspora art history, especially when he eventually relocated to the United States (US).

Between 1989 and 1992, dele jegede became the president of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) succeeding Prof. Solomon Wangboje. His proactive administrative skill is still admired up till date by the members. He ensured the official registration of SNA with the Corporate Affairs Commission and strategically carried out far reaching reforms in the organisation.

During his brief stay in Nigeria after obtaining a doctorate, he lectured at Yaba College of Technology, Yaba and while at the University of Lagos, he became the Director, Centre for Cultural Studies between 1989 and 1992. His dynamism opened up discussions on the eventual creation of the Department of Creative Arts a few years after he left.

His sojourn in the US witnessed a booming career in academics. His focus of research and teaching was in African art history and African American Art history. He demonstrated excellent intellect while occupying professional chairs at Spelman College, Atlanta, Indiana State University, Terre Haute and Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. He researched on migrant and dual identity while enunciating diasporic conflicts. He cushioned the dilemma of relocation, which often results into what Cornelius Adepegba called “Split Identity” by constantly coming back to his roots to support local artistic and cultural programmes.

He straddles the physical and virtual borders of creative, curatorial and academic spaces of local and international territories by sheer audacity and intellectualism. He debunked the jaundiced historical narratives of some Western scholars that depicted African art and culture both at home and in Diaspora as primitive and inferior to the Europeans. He reconstructed art historical narratives that critically theorised the fecundity of African cultural practices and established a dynamic kinship with the black migrants and the Diaspora. His writings like his paintings are expressively passionate without violating the sensibilities of others. He equally promoted the image of the artist, and indeed, that of the African as a cerebral and mettled individual, who knows his onions in the global vision of contemporary society. He successfully chaired many international associations and academic boards.

Behind every successful man, there is a woman, who stands as pillar of encouragement and support. dele jegede once describe his wife Joke as “my vociferous supporter, critic, friend and wife”. dele jegede’s diverse and productive life is no doubt as a result of the enormous support given by his family, relations, friends and colleagues.

In spite of his great achievements, he remains humble. He profusely appreciates minor gestures of support and due respect given by admirers. His sense of humour belies his underlying astringent social comments and expressive temper whenever things are not properly done. dele jegede’s handwriting is calligraphic and he writes his name in minuscule letters.

This sage deserves to be celebrated at 70. May he live more numerous and fertile years to the benefit of humanity.

• Dr. Filani is an artist and art historian. He is the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for dele jegede @ 70 celebrations.

How do studio masters who live solely on art practice conduct their business? What is the implication of this for curatorial capacity building? How can such ways be integrated into our training programmes for artists in training? Are these masters actually in-charge of the business in Nigeria? Does it not appear as if the field is controlled by some money bags, who dictate to supposed professionals?”

These and many more posers were among issues addressed by different speakers at this year’s international conference on the theme: State of visual arts scholarship in the country in Nigeria in the era of globalism held in Lagos.

For four days, arts scholars drawn from many arts schools across the nation converged simultaneously on two venues in Lagos (Yaba College of Technology and University of Lagos) to discuss salient issues such as quality assurance via quality human capital, curricular review and continuous updating of infrastructures. The conference provided opportunity for participants to interrogate and critically review the recent policy shifts in the education sector, especially as it affects quality of training of artists.

The opening ceremony was held at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos. It was organised by The Society of Non-Fiction Authors of Nigeria (SONFAN) in collaboration with stakeholders in the arts. It opened with a keynote lecture titled: Research and the academic visibility of artists in the ivory tower in Nigeria by Prof Osa Egonwa of Delta State University, Abraka.

Paper presenters spoke on issues ranging from why artists have lost grip of the art market to dictatorial collectors, to dearth of authoritative art publications, how to ensure quality in the graduate programmes in the art schools and state of research in visual art practice.

In his keynote, Prof Egonwa said quality assurance checkmates impurities, which pollute and eventually mortify. He urged participants to embrace practices that promote quality, saying that quality assurance, impactful presence and professional engagement of the visual arts for dominion as leaders in the field are key factors.

He also called for the need for establishing a standing leadership forum for leaders in the visual arts, (art and design) in tertiary institutions. “Quality engagement in visual arts studies is the key to the academic and administrative visibility of colleagues in the Ivory Tower. There is the globally referenced College Art Association of America (CAA). Perhaps a Nigerian version may be helpful. Funds for it should be sought and a proper administrative structure put in place before it takes off. There is need for periodic research/practice sharing forum for leaders and followers. There is need to speak up and fight for our rights at relevant levels of governance so we can be empowered to perform better,” he added.

Prof Egonwa observed that over the years, visual art as an academic discipline has witnessed desirable and undesirable developments.

According to him, the limitations range from improper definition of purpose, to mission and vision, nebulous methods of instruction, mixed system of staff hire and  fire, wrong research methods,  infrastructural and curricular inadequacies and poor text book development. All these, he said, are leading to poor professional engagement of trained artists amongst others. He added that these issues in turn contribute largely to the hesitant acceptance and poor visibility of the Nigerian artist in the academia.

Prof Frank Ugiomoh of the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State said historiography of art history demonstrates that the production of knowledge is always historically determined and knows no closure. This realisation, he said, permits artists to understand more fully the interpretations proposed by the scholars of the past, that is, ‘it sensitises us to how the values of their own time coloured their accounts of the past, as it makes us cognisant of the social and political function of our own activity as purveyors of culture.’

“The understanding of history, which previous historical interpretations expose, analysed critically, will always reveal how they are coloured or tainted by differing biases. In the same token, the practice of history in our time may not be different after all from such guilt. But has the compromises that shape the historian’s narrative in any way made history unrealistic? No; for history will remain, from the perspective of post-structuralism, narratives of time, but not the same as the event or object of is not a narrative reproduction of an object of art or event,” he said.

In his lead paper title: A revisionist overview of the historiography of African art history, disciplinary authenticity and western mindset, Prof Ugiomoh explained that where a discipline is wanting in its methodological outline the authenticity of such a discipline is said to be in misery and suffering from self-abnegation. According to him, evaluating the historiography of the history of art opens for the art historian insights into the critique of method, and the how and when a discipline has retooled with regard to its usefulness to humanity.

President Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), Mr. Oliver Enwonwu, who commended organisers of the conference said that SNA is in the forefront of supporting programmes in the development of visual art. He noted that the theme of the conference is relevant is relevant today particularly as the world is getting smaller because of internet and as it is geared towards making us to be part of the global village.’

In a 14-point communiqué, the organisers of the conference resolved that research in visual arts should be designed according to the nature of the discipline and that the practice-led or practice-based methods are suitable for the character of knowledge production in the visual arts. Arts curriculum, it said, should be more functional to prepare recipients for the world of work. The communiqué also resolved among others:

• that art exhibitions properly documented are a measure of scholarly productivity, should be used for staff appraisal in tertiary institutions, colleges of education, polytechnic subject to the professional specifications of the Society of Nigerian Artists;
• the National Universities Commission (NUC) should note that there is distinction  between the literary Ph. D ( in Art History,  Religious Studies , Art Criticism, or Art Education ) and the Studio Art Ph.D – drawing  and painting,  sculpture, ceramics, textiles, photography and new media ) and this should  be reflected  in studio art degree curriculum. The MFA and (Ph.D) studio should have an updated benchmark for the sake of Quality Assurance,
• All institutions offering visual arts should enforce Classroom –to- Industry Transition in their curricular specifications: ensure that faculty members teach what they are certified to teach,
• credit in Fine Arts should no longer compulsorily be a prerequisite for enrolment into B.A, HND, NCE programs in art. Five (5) credit passes in Arts, Social science or Science combinations is adequate. Similarly, mathematics should not be made compulsory for Post Graduate admission requirements.
• Federal and State Ministries of Tourism, Culture, and National Orientation and cognate parastatals should show genuine and as much interests in the advancement of visual arts scholarship as in art and culture festivals. The National Endowment for the Arts already set in motion years ago should be actualised.