Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

“Whenever I come here, it reminds me of the novel Far From the Maddening Crowd by Thomas Hardy, which I read in my secondary school days. While I sat down here, I felt so comfortable. I’m far from the maddening crowd while I’m here. Out there is the noise and everything, but once you enter here, you’ll be far from the maddening crowd. So, we want to give kudos to Shodex.”

That was the views of grand donor Yemisi Shyllon Museum Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, Omooba while declaring open the maiden exhibition tagged Life, Art and Nature held at Shodex Garden Anthony Lagos penultimate Saturday.  

It featured drawings, paintings, sculptures, graphics, prints, digital and photographic media, ceramics and textile works by 31 artists of different generations. The exhibition is an advocacy platform for the conservation of the earth, nature and the environment as well as for health living. On revelation from the exhibition, which hopes to be a regular event at the garden is the participation of a young female artist, a Microbiologist now an artist, Miss Joyce Korede. She took drawing classes at Mountain Top University and joined the studio mentorship of Dr. Peacemaker Efeoghene. Other exhibitors included Peacemaker Efeoghene, Eghosa Osabuohien,  Kazeem Omotayo, Abisola Cole, Adegoke Adedamola, Sanusi Abdulahi, Favour Ernest-Nwankwo, Ogunkunle Tunde, Mercy Eyit, Nwachukwu Clara, and Michael Ikobi.

Omooba Shyllon, who was guest of honour, said Shodex Garden is a vision from insanity to sanity, noting that Nigeria is a difficult place for the young ones to thrive.

“It is only great mind and an entrepreneur like him that can establish something like this. He’s an entrepreneur because he is creating a business, employment, values and possibilities for the society. It is people like him that see low hanging ripe fruits in a desert like Nigeria,” he said of the Managing Director of Shodex Art Gallery, Mr.  Olusola Adekoya.

He tasked the artists to embrace sculpting instead of focusing on painting, which he said, is a later day medium. “You are laying too much emphasis on painting. My forefathers made their names from sculptures, not painting. That is where our art originated from. Painting is a latter day thing. I’ve seen so many painting. It’s more difficult to make sculpture,” he added.

In his remark, the Managing Director, Shodex Art Gallery, Mr. Olusola Adekoya, said that it has been the dream of Shodex garden to promote art as one of its major fields alongside nature and life.  He added that the aim of Shodex Garden, which is to make a paradise of everywhere, to reflect as closely as possible the styling, decoration and colour palette of the client’s home so that there is a strong visual relationship between the inside and outside spaces.

The maiden exhibition is to create and promote artistic creativities and budding artists with passion. Shodex Art Gallery programme is a wake-up call to creative artists and designers through enlightenment and networking. The aim of an art gallery within Shodex Gardens is to establish a creative hub that will complement existing recreational facilities for visitors’ pleasure.

“We regularly work closely with architects and interior designers to ensure that this is achieved. We deal in landscaping as well as tree planting and we are popularly known for our Garden and Mini Zoo Recreational Centre here at Anthony, Lagos.

“The reason for Shodex Art Gallery is simply to advocate for the conservation of our natural habitat, through collective efforts of visual artists, textile and ceramic designers, craft-makers and so on. Just as the theme of the exhibition says, Life, Art & Nature, we all know that art, life and nature are inter-connected. Life is essential in art, just as nature is important in health and life. As artists, designers or other creative make art, it’s important to also care for the environment and natural habitats bearing in mind that they depend solely on nature for productivity. Improper disposal of paint media & chemical substances within the environment, atmosphere & waters, by visual artists & industrial designers, is an issue requiring serious consideration,” he added.  Adekoya stressed that indiscriminate tree-felling or cutting of wood, which leads to deforestation, is a prevailing factor in today’s world.

On Tuesday January 31, at the Oriental Hotel Victoria Island, Lagos, business mogul, Adekunle Adedayo, sauntered into age 75 amidst flowing encomium and praises from his constituents and well-wishers.

Adedayo’s compelling grass to grace story was spotlighted during the event as he received encomiums from dignitaries from different walks of life for his contribution to the food and security sectors where he is still holding sway.

His story was linked to a child born with a proverbial lucky star. “Born Adekunle Olubunmi Maxwell Adedayo, on January 31, 1948, to the family of Pa Solomon Adewunmi and Madam Victoria Adedayo in Ila-Orangun, Osun State . “I was raised and have led a balanced and principled life. This informed the man I have grown to become,” he said.

His steady rise to success has been a clear indication that he didn’t just get to his current status by sheer luck, however, he also worked tirelessly to attain his current height.

The story of the Nigerian Customs Service would be incomplete without the immense contributions of the celebrator, who was a former deputy comptroller, via the various committees he was appointed in.

Fondly called “Aakunle” by close friends and family, he is reputed for his words of wisdom and his philanthropic works. With his vast knowledge in marketing and a master’s in management, he voluntarily retired from customer service to support his lovely wife in her business – De Tastes Fried Chicken Ltd and Dr Tastee Pot Ltd.

“At 75, Adedayo, I am still keen on achieving more heights, which includes the continuous growth of De Tastee Fried Chicken and to ensure that it remains the no 1 QSR brand in Nigeria; and also to see that every public school student gets a sound education through the Bunmi Adedayo’s foundation (BAF),” it was stated.

He is married to his childhood friend, turned partner, Olayinka Pamela  Adedayo (Nee Ogunnusi), and the marriage is blessed with a child OluwaBunmi and grandchildren. The marriage began and matured like fine wine into a ‘happily ever after’ story filled with blessings.  

Terra Academy for the Arts (TAFTA), Lagos at the weekend conferred degrees on no fewer than 1,900 students who successfully completed its rigorous programme on relevant skills in theatre arts and entrepreneurship. The programme, which was primarily virtual, offered an innovative curriculum with specialised courses in sound design, stage lighting, animation and scriptwriting, all of which were incorporated with entrepreneurship modules.

Established by Nigeria’s leading culture and art centre, Terra Kulture, the creative academy’s goal is to build and empower a community of young Nigerians who will impact the economy and society by transforming the creative industry.

Founder Terra Kulture Bolanle Austen-Peters said the goal of the academy is that in five years, it would have trained 65,000 young people. “I recognise that jobs are not available. And I looked at the system we were running here. Every single person that has done light, sound, makeup, hair, those skill sets that allow you to be an entrepreneur were all thriving. All those who needed to be employed needed help. I said I’ll only teach courses whereby people become self-employed and become earners of income without having to take a CV to anybody. It was deliberate. All our animation, sound and lighting guys are never short of cash.

‘’The training we provide allows our graduates to build their entrepreneurial skillsets, ensuring that they are capable of providing for themselves and their families. I am very delighted that what was thought impossible has been made possible. My sincere congratulations to our graduates today who have taken the next steps to transform their lives,” she added.

Among guests that witnessed the ceremony included, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,  Prof. Duro Oni, President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev Olasupo Ayokunle, award-winning Filmmaker Femi Odugbemi, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Deyemi Okanlawon, and Mike Afolarin.  

In his remark, Mohammed spoke on the long-term impact of TAFTA’s programme on national development, saying “Nigeria’s creative industry is the new crude oil. Today, Nigeria has taken the world by storm and found itself in the global space, be it through music, movies, fashion, literature, or theatre. As Nigeria’s population comprises a 70 percent youth demographic, many of whom are unemployed or underemployed, TAFTA could not  have come at a more auspicious time. I can say with conviction that TAFTA is contributing its quota to the efforts to solve the unemployment crisis in Nigeria. I also want to congratulate the graduates and admonish them to make the best use of this rare opportunity afforded to them. TAFTA continues to be a partner of progress and its efforts are impressive and highly commendable. The ministry looks forward to exploring greater means of partnerships with TAFTA to extend their invaluable training across the length and breadth of Nigeria”.

Terra Academy for the Arts was launched in 2021 with the mission to up skill 65,000 underserved Nigerian youths through innovative creative education and practical training strategically designed by handpicked experts in the creative industry. The initial programme runs for six weeks, with an additional two-week practical workshop designed to ensure the hands-on application of the course materials. Notable alumni from the academy include Moshood Fattah, best known for his role as ‘Michael’ in Netflix’s hit series “Far From Home”;  Queen Celestine, Theatre performer and Miss Nigeria Universe 2014, and Bunmi Olunloyo, Actor, dancer, and fitness instructor.

In 2022, TAFTA expanded its offerings with the announcement of the opening of six physical learning centres for the benefit of students who lacked access to the internet, electricity, or compatible devices. The academy also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Screenwriters Guild of Nigeria (SWGN) to strengthen the support offered to students by easing the admission process into the professional guild.

The recently inaugurated John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan, Lagos, will not only preserve the rich heritage of the Yorubas, but will also serve as a strong voice for its promotion. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports

Ninety-five years after it was first built as a public swimming pool, the multi-million naira John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Onikan Lagos, has added fresh catalyst to the vibrant and tourist friendly hub in the heart of Lagos Island.

Located between various thriving tourism facilities like Muson Centre, National Museum, Lagos Island Club, Onikan Stadium, Yoruba Club, and City Mall, the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History was recently unveiled to boost the cultural offerings in Onikan, which is tagged as the culture and tourism hotbed of Lagos.

It offers updated facilities, amid creating a centerpiece community building with a 1,000 square metre exhibiting gallery that tells the story of Yoruba history and culture. The centre, an architectural wonder, with the shape of a fractal, rising from the earth, leaning forward and reflecting the progressive nature of the Yorubas, is also part of an urban regeneration project at the heart of Lagos Island.

A guided tour of the newly inaugurated Centre reminded me of my experiences in 2021 at the four year-old National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), Doha. The museum, which was designed by Jean Nouvel, shares many things in common with John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, especially in the area of content and vision. Apart from size, both are iconic edifices built to promote heritage and culture.

Like Qatar Museum, John Randle Centre’s dynamic architectural design echoes the geography of Lagos while evoking the history and culture of Yorubas. It also gives veritable voice to Yoruba’s rich heritage and culture, and welcomes diverse communities in the state to its vibrant and immersive space to experience Yoruba’s past, present and future.

As a one-stop shop, the centre’s facilities include an outdoor theatre, public square, space for learning programmes, art installations, live music events, a permanent exhibition, library, training and conference rooms, and a concession block for food, drinks, lounge, bleacher stand, lawn area and of course, world-class swimming pool. All these make it almost a one-stop centre for leisure and learning.

Entering the centre, its fine letterings mounted on the wall welcome every guest to the reception where artefacts such as old telephone set used by colonial administrators were displayed. Also striking to the guests is title of exhibits and directions written in Yoruba language. On the upper floor are vintage works such as the Oba of Lagos, which is strategically placed opposite the entrance. On the first floor it opens a window to the Yoruba Nation; her culture, people, feats, beliefs, among others.

The works are presented in sections, with one showing Obatala, the Yoruba creation god. The audio presentation offers visitors opportunity to understand the genealogy of the Yoruba race through the Orisha of Yoruba mythology. But one section that will catch your attention for a long time, while in the museum is the masquerade section.

Prominent among Yoruba masquerade culture is the Eyo, which is presented in different versions in the section including; Adimu, Eyo Alaketepupo, Eyo Oniko, Eyo Olegede, and Eyo Agere.

Even in death, the works of the late Afrobeat legend and human right activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti continued to be one of Nigeria’s intangible cultural heritages that attract global attention. Little wonder some of his works formed the core of the exhibits at the media section. Other successful Yoruba musicians, culture and art practitioners across many decades were also represented. The museum also takes visitors back to pre-colonial and colonial eras, with rare pictures, artifacts, buildings among others that bear witness of the eras.

In the section, colonial file cabinets and safes, gramophone, radio and telephone used by the colonial administrators are generously on display. Also of great mention in the section are the contributions of Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, the Yoruba linguist, clergyman, and the first African Anglican Bishop of West Africa. Not left out in the pack is the Yoruba fashion display that features weaving looms, traditional fabrics, royal ensembles and palaces, paintings, iconic photos, a court for moonlight tales, a folksy, 3D screen depicting the place of Yoruba art and culture in the future, among others.

According to report, the concept of the centre was based on three ideas of first liberation, spiritual, mental and physical; concept of the weave as an inconspicuous but visible facet of Yoruba existence, and making the building to rise from the earth in homage to the geographical/agricultural heritage and also to look to the sky where Olodumare resides.

But, the principal consultant to the Centre,  Rowland Abiodun, John C. Newton Professor of African Art at Amherst College, and formerly Professor at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) hinted that  his book, Yoruba Art and Language: Seeking the African in African Art provided the basis upon which the John Randle Centre has been organised.  

According to him, the Centre offers new insights into Yoruba art and material culture by examining them within the context of Yoruba civilisation’s cultural norms and values and, above all the Yoruba language.

“Literally and idiomatically, the presentation and display of Yoruba works should benefit from their rich oral and philosophical traditions. A gallery devoted to the elucidation (and even the dramatisation) of the Yoruba concepts of orí, àse, aso, osun and the “beginning” of the world using the oríkì paradigm.This is where mythology, archaeology and history meet and could set the stage for the understanding of Yoruba culture and history. The guiding philosophy in the presentation of all works should be to attract and secure the interest of  Yoruba culture bearers and not just the occasional non-Yoruba visitors/audience who expect to see a replica of the exhibitions they are accustomed to in Western museums,” he said.

The renowned author noted that “The centre attempts to do this by establishing the importance of the concepts of oríkì, the verbal and visual performances that animate ritual and domestic objects, such as cloth, sculpture, and dance; and àc¹, the energy that structures existence and transforms and controls the physical world. Both concepts have served as the guiding principles of Yoruba artistic production. Through the display of representative works, the centre demonstrates how material culture expresses the key philosophical notions at the heart of Yoruba worldview.”

Prof Abiodun added that the centre is conceived to be the place for both a celebration and the preservation of the àsà of Yorùbá culture. ‘Àsà broadly translated, means customs, traditions, and styles, expressed in àsà àtijo (old and ancient customs, traditions, and, styles), àsà àtìrandíran (traditions, customs, and styles passed from one generation to the next), and àsà tuntun (new traditions, customs, and styles), as distinct from àsàkasà (a discordant style, a disjunction, or disorder in tradition) – a matrix of possibilities mapping both existential and normative relationships between change and continuity.’

He disclosed that in sourcing the exhibits, not much of challenges were encountered because museums and private collections in Nigeria and overseas were most generous in supporting the project. He added that in particular, the British Museum supported the development of the centre since its inception.

Commenting on how strategic the centre is to tourism in the state, Prof Abiodun said: “For Principal Architect Oluseun Oduwole, the centre should provide a deeply interactive experience at the levels of the dynamic and the contemplative. So, the design would dramatise an understanding of art, culture, and history as operating through the mutuality of relationship with human beings. The architecture and the artistic work in the centre will thus be understood as being itself an agentive identity open to interaction with its human interlocutors, rather simply a monument to be gazed upon in admiration.

“Architect Oduwole tackles the question: Why have Western-style art museums not always generated as much interest as they should among local Yorùbá audiences? Could it be because of the origins, history, culture, structure, and meaning of the museum in the West? The J Randle Centre would bridge this chasm through both in-house innovations and educational programmes reaching beyond the centre itself, catalysing the understanding of a Yoruba way of experiencing artistic and cultural forms as they are inspired by àsà àtijo (old and ancient customs, traditions and, styles) transposed into new spaces, filtering through the organic nature of the constructed-ness of àsà tuntun (new traditions, customs, and styles).”

Continuing he said: “Oduwole’s design concept work alerts us to the new possibilities of re-animating the artistic impulse of structures whose origins have long disappeared. He pieces together successfully the very fabric of art, architecture, history, aesthetics, and rituals in all their constituent parts through oríkì (citation poetry), narratives, places, and events for which there are no written records.

J Randle Centre is, therefore, a work not only characterised by a thoughtful innovative approach, imagination, and painstaking research but also debunks all the erroneous conceptions about African architecture and aesthetics. This project promises to serve as a model for the kind of interdisciplinary approach that is now necessary for the construction of museums and cultural institutions in Africa and beyond.”  Lagos State government, the initiator and sponsor of the centre, didn’t hide its excitement about the project which has translated from mere idea to reality.

According to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State at the recent unveiling, “The John Randle Centre is the first of many initiatives aimed at the preservation of the heritage of the Yoruba through the celebration and preservation of history and culture, the regeneration of decades old public green space, public recreation facilities, and the restoration of civic pride.”

However, issues of preservation, restoration, storage of collection and the hiring of professional museum technocrats to run the centre must be given priority attention in order for the centre to make the desired impact.