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The massive three
piece bungalow on No 1, Queen Idiah Street, off Yakubu Gowon street,
was before now, one of many structures scattered across the length and
breadth of the nation’s capital that have for years been unoccupied,
because they are not readily affordable for those who have need for
them.

Therefore, when the
compound suddenly came alive on Saturday, April 24, 2010, courtesy of a
two-week art exhibition and workshops organised by Iroko Arts and
Lifestyles, it must have been some sort of relief for residents of the
Asokoro area of the city. The exhibition tagged ‘Evolving Currents,’
with the theme ‘Perspective on 50 Years of Contemporary Nigerian Visual
Arts’, opened with much razzmatazz.

A Grand Opening

It was a grand
opening which drew participation from far and wide. Nigerians and
foreigners who are great lovers of arts, turned out in large number to
witness the event. Those in attendance included the Ambassadors of
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Hungary and Finland; a delegation from the US
embassy, Canadian High Commission and USAid. Frank Okonta (President of
the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria), artist Kolade Oshinowo, Tola
Wewe (artist and Commissioner for Arts and Culture in Ondo State),
Richmond Ogolo, and UWA Usen (National President, Society of Nigerian
Artists). Also present were Princess Folashade Adeyemi – daughter of
the Alafin of Oyo, Oba Adeyemi III (representing the monarch), and
Yinka Kola-Abiola, mother of Sururat Omolabake Kola-Abiola.

“The aim of this
exhibition is to examine the changing tides of Nigerian Art. It seems
almost a misnomer to label it Nigerian, as this suggests some inherent
homogeneity. Instead, it was interesting to see how the artists
self-defined by region and ethnic grouping,” Tosin Onile-Ere Rotimi
said in her opening speech. She added that Nigerian artists though
appeared to be less politically inclined than their Francophone
counterparts, not as a result of historical censorship, but rather as
part of the ‘look on the bright side’ mentality prevalent here. “Having
said that, Tunde Soyinka, Lucy Azubuike, Prince Momoh are all serious
social commentators, as is Nduwhite.”

The exhibition
received positive comments by artists, art collectors, regulators and
other stakeholders in the industry. For Richard Ogolo, Vice President
of the Arts Gallery Association, it is a remarkable initiative. “You
have opened up an entire new market and new possibilities” he said,
while the Abuja based Millicent Osumuo, one of the exhibiting artists,
described the exhibition as a rare opportunity “for upcoming Nigerian
artists to have the required exposure.”

With works by 50
artists on display, exhibition showcased fifty years of Nigerian arts.
The show cut across different generations of artists and periods in
Nigeria’s history. Included were the works of the legendary Bruce
Onabrakpeya, Nduwhite Ndubuisi, Millicent Osumuo, Yusuf Grillo, Twins
Seven Seven, Abiola Idowu, Jimoh Braimoh, Tola Wewe, Braimoh Gbadamosi,
Tayo Olayode John, Lexie Nzekwe, Nike Davies Okundaiye, Rahmon Oluguna,
Reuben Ugbine Phillips, and Sam Ovraiti. The exhibition explored
different media including painting, sculpture, ceramics/pottery, pop
art photography, video, and installations which showcased the
incredible talents in Nigeria and a positive side of our country,
Nigeria.

Free Workshop for Children

Concerned about the
dearth of art education in our schools today, the organisers decided to
include as part of the exhibition, a free art workshop for school
children. Facilitated by Rahmon Olugunna, a second generation Oshogbo
artist, the workshop enjoyed tremendous success as schoolchildren and
those brought along by their parents, joined in.

The workshop,
organised in memory of Sururat Omolabake Kola-Abiola, was something of
a page turner. Many of the children enjoyed their exposure to art and
wanted more of such opportunities.

According to Tosin
Onile-Ere Rotimi, the workshop was designed principally for those
schools where art is no longer taught, or not taught in a sustained
manner. “The workshops are being voluntarily facilitated by exhibiting
artists who are coming from all over the country. The central theme of
the workshop is ‘Jos Stop’, in reference to the Jos Crisis, where
statistics show that children were the principal victims,” explained
the director of Iroko Ats and Lifestyles. On Saturday May 1, Nduwhite
Ndubuisi, an ‘installationist’, and supported by Millicent Osumuo,
guided students of Cherryfield College in Abuja as they created a mass
grave using the swimming pool and newspaper cuttings. Explaining the
concepts, Ndubuisi explained that the concept of this site specific
installation represents the mass grave in Jos. “We make them speak for
the crisis in Jos, speak up for the children and women whose lives were
sniffed out carelessly. We use papers because we expect the media to
amplify the voice of these children,” said the artist.

Tales by Moonlight

The exhibition also
featured an evening of readings, storytelling, wining and dining. The
organisers chose to add a touch of African lifestyle and cuisines by
providing a platform for exhibiting artists and other art lovers to
exchange ideas, read poems, and tell stories with the help of undiluted
palm-wine and suya till late evening at the exhibition ground.
Ndubuisi, who is also a poet, entertained his colleagues and other
guests to the best of poetry in performance and storytelling.

The Historical Essence

A catalogue that
collates artists and works from 1960 to date and which crosses borders
in terms of generation, gender, and genre, is expected out soon as a
product of the workshop. Images in the voluminous catalogue will be
organised in alphabetical order, according to the names of the artists,
unlike in the exhibition where works were displayed by genre. The book,
titled ‘Evolving Currents’ will examine, for example, the Oshogbo
school, the Bruce Onabrakpeya factor, naturalism, postmodernims and the
metamorphosis of sculpture. It will also also include a spotlight on
Bisi Fakeye, student and nephew of Lamidi Fakeye, whose style
transcends his Yoruba heritage and moves beyond traditional
Yoruba/African sculpture.

Evolving Currents was on display from April 24 to May 8.