THE Nigerian visual art scene is generally considered as one of the most vibrant in the country at the moment. In the face of mounting economic problems where most sectors of the economy find it difficult to survive, fine artists still wax strong, they do not only wax strong, private galleries are also there to assist in this race for survival. Some of the artists who spoke to The Nation equally attest to this fact.
According to Zinno Orara, one of Nigeria’s foremost painters whose exhibition is on going at the Tera Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos, “the art scene is growing even though not as fast as some of us would have wanted it to. This is so because the growth between the 80s and 90s was more noticeable, more vibrant, more monumental if you like. But right now it is a bit slow. But you know, art is a luxury, it is patronized by few rich people in the society. Therefore when the economy is down, it is the first thing to be affected, when the economy recovers, it is usually the last to recover. So that alone has its fundamental effects on the scene,” he stated.
He went on to discuss the issue of the rise in the cost of materials in the market. “Now, the high cost of materials equally affect the sector. What we used to buy for four thousand Naira is about nine thousand Naira right now. This is why we are not really experimenting the way we should due to cost of materials”.
Across the world, however, he noted that standards are falling. “Yes across the world the standards are falling. In our days, you needed to know how to draw, first and foremost, before going to art school. Now it doesn’t really matter across the world. However, some of us established ourselves by those tenets, those principles of accuracy, professionalism and so on. However, the art standards as we have in Nigeria is getting better by the day. Those who give themselves fully to it are doing well, ensuring that the tempo does not die”. When it comes to the issue of art collections, Orara noted that more collectors are coming into the scene. “Before now you could count the number of art collectors we had in Nigeria. But fortunately the number has grown. This is also good for the artists themselves. Most people do not appreciate our works, yet those who love us go for them. This has helped to keep the scene agog, lively and vibrant”.
On the issue of the role of private galleries to help promote and exhibit artists, he said, “A lot of young artists would complain and say oh what’s happening. Gallery owners are making face for us. But then we now have more artists than galleries. This makes it a bit tight. The galleries are few, quite few. It is even better nowadays. In our days, it was worse. We just had maybe three or four galleries in existence. In Victoria Island alone, we have about six galleries. It is getting better. If the galleries are doing well, the artists will gain more We only pray and hope that gallery owners should at least be fair enough to the artists. This is so because we do not have grants, we rely solely on our works to live, to survive, to move on generally. But naturally you can’t separate the artist from the society. For some of us, by God’s grace, it is not really bad. However, it can get much better.
“You see, Nigerian artists are gifted. Having been abroad severally to exhibit, attend workshops and conferences, I know we have great artists here in Nigeria. It is not only in the arts scene, but in other areas of life, Nigerians are great. When you see Nigerian art outside of the shores, you would be shocked about the high standard. We have a lot of world class artists. In Europe and America most of the artists there are average. The average Nigerian is dogged. Our problem is bad leadership. Once we sort that out successfully well, we can always go places”.
Another artist, a contemporary of Orara by name Gab Awusa simply described the visual art scene at the moment as vibrant. “it is vibrant, very very vibrant. Yes it is, my brother, we can only get better. Yet it is vibrant. But if you ask me what I think about the trend in the art sector, I would say it is good for everybody. It is good for the artist, it is good for the buyer. Yes, I keep maintaining it, it is vibrant. It is also good for the critics, for those of you who have been following what we do, you now have more areas of the art to write about, to critique and so on”, Awusa, also a painter, stated.
“It is also more competitive these days and I am not afraid of competition. Let it be more competitive, it is also good for the art. Let people even copy my style or my works, it is also good if you can beat me in my game. I love young people with bright new ideas, even those who can copy from me, who can copy from you. There has to be a balance. They can compete with me and I can compete with them. It is all to ensure that arts grows for the benefit of everyone in the sector. I know where to beat them. I have more money than them so I can pay people to do my online business for me. Of course this is one of the ways to up my game. This is where the competition is. Of course the younger ones know what to do but they will not have the kind of gadget I have. It is all well. But the fact that we have exhibitions here and there, is also part of the tremendous growth we are talking about”.
Awusa who has exhibited extensively both at home and abroad, gave kudos to those who contribute non stop to keep the visual art scene in Nigeria active even when the economy is not encouraging. “Today alone, I have been to two exhibitions. Yet I have two more to attend before I go home. What does it tell you? The prices in some situations are too high. What does it also tell you? Some prices are scaring yet they are selling. So in all these, the artist determines the prices of his works. People are buying also”.
He also narrowed his gaze on the relationship between artists and gallery owners. He said, “if I have to talk from the point of view of someone who has been in the business for so long, I am sure, I do not have any problem with any gallery owner. Yes, that is the way it is with me. We have been together from the beginning when things were tough, really really tough. So they understand the temperament of the artist. I understand them as well. To me the relationship like most is based on trust. We need that business trust to thrive. If as an artist you need cash, then you will be ready to negotiate with gallery owners to have all your works showcased for people to view and buy. You do not expect someone to invest millions of Naira in artwork that will not sell tomorrow. Art is a luxury product and it has to be treated so in terms of business. That is why the art market is not for everybody. I therefore advise the younger ones who are in a hurry to make money to try to bring their prices down so that more people will buy their works”, he noted.
Nigeria in Africa is the hub of the art now and before now. Lagos is hot for the art. Everybody comes here, South Africans, Kenyans, Ghanians Togolese. People from all over Africa to show appreciation for the Nigerian arts. “See what happened in Art X in Lagos last month. Yes, Lagos is very competitive and the standard of art here is very encouraging. The Arthouse in Lagos can compete with anyone in the world. In the area of auction, the Arthouse is good. Whether you call it African art, contemporary art, we are competing effectively with the rest of the world”.
African arts is no longer considered primitive. Before now artists were taught in school to draw classical and renaissance arts with accuracy and precision. Today that has however been discarded. He said, “now we see what is happening. The white man came with contemporary art. When you now look at contemporary art, you see that Africans are doing well. Then, we had freedom to do our art. It is that freedom that the whiteman calls primitive art. It is no longer time to pay attention to accuracy. No one ever does that one these days. What is essential is that people go for the theme and abandon the basics and art is growing tremendously”.
Oluwole Omofemi is a young artist based in Ibadan, Oyo State. He has been engaged in a number of group and solo exhibitions in the recent past. His assessment of the situation is slightly different. “One of the reasons the sector is getting more interesting is that there are lots and lots of new faces in the market. The level of collection is on the high side. More buyers now show interest in our works. This is also good for the growth not only for the artist but those who are concerned with the sector. The global market is also hot and lively. The media has equally helped to fire the interest people show in our works. The efforts by the media to ensure the sector looks pleasant to the buyers is very encouraging”, he said.
On the whole, artists are busy in their studios that every weekend they keep almost all the galleries in Lagos busy. Artists exhibit every now and then. Buyers crowd the venues to purchase for resale in the future. Yet it is all for the good of all the people involved in this business.
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