If there is any memorable show in recent time that was initiated to celebrate the grandmasters in printmaking, the forthcoming hosting of the eight grandmasters’ rare collections at the Fobally Art Gallery Lekki, Lagos is it. The group show, which will show a wide range of printmaking techniques such as plastograph, monoprint, viscosity, lino block, drypoint, serigraph and etching made popular by these grandmasters, is also meant to promote printmaking, the influences and its increasing value in the art market.
Beyond its aesthetics, the group exhibition will also highlight the inspirational influence and legacies of the legends. They are Prof Uche Okeke, Prof S.I. Wangboje, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, Prof Salubi Onakufe, Ademola Williams, Tayo Quaye, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi and David Dale. It will run from August 10 to 30 at Fobally Art Gallery, Lekki, Lagos
The grandmasters are not only pacesetters, but are also quintessential printmakers who have contributed immensely to the establishment of printmaking in Nigeria from independence period till date. With peculiar modern and contemporary ideas through experiments, materials and different methodical explorations in their various studios, they continued to position printmaking as a grand creative art form in Nigerian art.
The Founder/Creative Director of Fobally Art Gallery, Mrs Folasade Abiola, underlined the importance of the pioneer grandmaster exhibition in sensitising the public and driving Nigerians acceptance to the art of print making in visual art, which has long been accepted and celebrated in other continents.
“As the exhibition entrenched the achievements of the Eight Grandmasters in the Art of Print making in Nigeria in the sand of time, the exhibition will further expose the upcoming art professionals to the Art of Print making in expanding their horizon to other art mediums that could stand them out in the industry globally. This will surely give birth to more artists that will focus and look into printmaking aspect of visual art,” she added.
Chairman, Fobally Art Gallery, Mr. Larry Segun-Lean described the great eight as a mix of prolific artists, scholars, educators, and trailblazers, noting that the essence of the exhibition is to look at the legacy of these founding fathers.
“It will help us to measure the pulse of this evolution of art style and its relevance in our contemporary art world. And I trust collection will provoke further interest in the art of printmaking, its methods, grits and nuances. We intend to have a workshop if possible to dialogue about their art.
“Art as a language of the heart is a language of our emotions. So in the pieces they will be showcasing, they will be talking about our emotions, our schools and our thoughts. And then it will provoke and give us demand for answers to the society we live in,” he said.
According to him, each of the collection will stand as a testament to the grandmaster’s creativity and explorative ingenuity.
Curator for the show, Dr. Afuevu Onakufe, expressed his excitement ahead of the group show adding that the audience would witness a wide range of printmaking techniques including plastograph, monoprint, viscosity, lino block, drypoint, serigraph, etching and more.
Onobrakpeya, Wangboje and Okeke of the Zaria Art School also known as The Zaria Rebels were the “fathers of printmaking in Nigeria” who later influenced the works of Onakufe, Williams, Quaye and Adeyemi as well as David Dale in their prints and practice through their studios and in the case of Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, the Harmattan Workshop Series, Agbara-Otor. On their part, Okeke and Wangboje provided a lot of intellectual insights in the works of other academic and studio-based Nigerian printmakers.
Over the years, the printmaking generational influence spread to art students from the universities, polytechnics and colleges of education through internship and industrial attachment to gain professional experiences for the development and spread of printmaking across Nigeria and abroad.
These eight grandmasters are the quintessential eight renowned printmakers who have contributed greatly to the establishment of printmaking in Nigeria from her independence till date. With peculiar modern and contemporary ideas through experiments, materials and different methodical explorations in their various studios, they positioned printmaking as a grand creative art form in Nigerian art.
Onobrakpeya applauded the gallery for its commitment to promoting this movement, saying “when we were growing up, young girls that were about to get married used to be decorated with prints,” he reminisced. “When our parents were making clay pots, they were making prints. Print is a democratic way of creating art. Print is an art that is meant to reach anybody.”
Ademola Williams recalled his early memories of how he began his sojourn in art in 1968 when he dropped out of school and discovered Ori Olokun art workshop in Ile-Ife. With rigorous tutelage under the likes of Ola Rotimi, his well-rounded art education sparked a passion that still manifests in his visual storytelling through the metallic sculptures.
Dr. Adeyemi described printmaking as timeless, which transcends time and will remain relevant in many years to come. “You know what? It is actually the printmakers right now that have the opportunity to employ more people in their studio,” he said. “Printmaking is not something you can do alone. As a matter of fact, in the West, where I had done some residencies, there are people that are accredited printmakers. Printmaking creates employment, even in the art landscape,” he said.
