Sitting pretty in a
Lagos block of flats is a place called ‘Art Barn’. True to its word, it
is a barn of sorts, housing not only artworks, but antiques, with some
dating back to the 1800’s when the white man first set foot on the land
later known as Nigeria.
With art works and
antiquities like guns, compasses, telephones, grandfather clocks,
clothes, and typewriters, the ‘Barn’ is a veritable historic site. And
its owner, Richmond Ogolo, who doubles as the vice president of the Art
Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN), is set on educating the public
on the merits of antiques.
“I think there is
no clear distinction between antiques and art. There are art works with
an antique feel. They are mainstream art, but they have that antique
feel and can be sold as antique,” Ogolo declared.
The trained lawyer,
who hails from Opobo, has always been surrounded by objects etched with
history. His hometown was one of the first points of contact with
foreigners; and till date, it has relics to remind visitors of such
times.
Growing up in a
town where his grandfather kept antiques and seeing the way his
teachers preserved items for their sentimental value, only amplified
his curiosity. Ogolo went on to sell antique cars, which he acquired
from the northern part of Nigeria, and set up an automobile business.
“Because the Pan
African movement was linked with the civil rights movements, it was no
surprise that Nigerians who went to America to [study] came back not
only with their mannerisms, but with the things they consumed, like
automobiles, marking the entry of expensive cars like Porsche into the
country,” he explained.
Due to lack of a viable market, however, he ended his trade in antique cars, focusing instead on other kinds of period objects.
On sartorial authenticity
“From the
Pan-African perspective, we have this phobia for being Western. But it
is in our thinking, culture, and traditions because of the Western
experience. People don’t want to be seen, especially in contemporary
times, as having too many Western values, but we have a history of
Western influence. It cannot be pushed away, because it has been there
right from when the Portuguese came,” he asserted.
Ogolo’s fascination
with the historical consumerism, has seen him travel to various parts
of Africa and Europe, searching for the next antique to add to his
growing collection. He complains that his collection still has a long
way to go before reaching the capacity he dreams of.
“If you look at it
well, what we wear is of Western origin. I can tell you that by 1800,
most Africans wore nothing. It was (our) contact with the West that
gave us a sense of clothing and then we borrowed heavily from it,” he
said.
He gave examples
with the famous Ankara, which he said originated from Indonesia before
it was adapted by the Dutch and then the British.
“In the Niger
Delta, the shirts and headgear are Western. Maybe in a sense, the most
original costume we wear in Nigeria is probably worn by the Yoruba,
(but) the technique of weaving is European,” he added.
Business sense
His belief in the
documentation of Nigerian consumption and the revelation of the
business angle of selling antiques, which he learnt from corner pawn
shops and auction houses, convinced him that it could be a workable
business.
“I saw a viable
trade in it. From trading in family heirlooms at the corner pawn shop,
to getting into professional antique floor like Sotheby’s. The antiques
go for as little as one dollar to multi-millions,” Mr. Ogolo said.
Though the need to
document Nigeria’s history of consumerism played a large role in his
venturing into antiques market, he confessed that his flair for
recognising business opportunities gave him a head start.
“I was exposed to
foreign cultures and saw that it was a thriving business. These items
of old have been part of our history. For all the fears associated with
outside influences, we have a symbiotic relationship with them, so it
is important that we take advantage and not shy away from it.”
Ogolo believes the
infrastructure for the antique market in other parts of the world could
be replicated in Nigeria, since there is already a thriving art scene.
And that people who invest in art should also invest in contemporary
antiques, and not just Nigerian traditional antiquities like the ones
from the Nok or Ife cultures.
“Art is in everything, everything done is designed by art,” Ogolo insisted.
“Antique objects
are art objects; everything we use on a daily basis represents
something in art. I feel it is something we can tap into,” he added.
The gallery owner
has been collecting artworks since childhood; and his collection
includes old guns, the letter his teacher gave him to his parents when
the civil war started, as well as the antique cars. He plans to hold an
antique exhibition as soon as he is able to open a separate store to
display them and get some items in his collection authenticated.
“I have outlets
where I sell art, once in a while I put an antique piece on display;
though it takes some time, someone always picks an interest and comes
in to buy,” he said.
He added, however, that, “I don’t have a rich stock to place the business on the international market.”
Some history
From seeing John
Lennon’s bullet-proof Rolls Royce to collecting and eventually losing
glasses believed to have been owned by Queen Victoria, and to having
access to old maps of Lagos when it was still a protectorate, and
walking through the palace of a former King of Calabar whose ambition
was to marry Queen Victoria (He built a palace and filled it with
things that he considered she would need when she became his bride) –
Ogolo has cut his teeth in antique appreciation. According to him,
“Antiques give a history and are relevant in the social anthropology
and modernism of any people.”
He was quick to
point out that some antiques are priceless, and so belong to the museum
as they tell important history and need to be kept for the public to
appreciate, never sold. To people who want to start collecting
antiques, he proffers that it is best to start by isolating old
buildings, farmsteads, and agrarian settlements.
“When you have isolated these places, then you get a big van, put some cash in your pockets and hit the road,” he said.
He also remarked
that sometimes finding antiques boils down to natural instincts.
Following this, he emphasised the importance of authenticating whatever
has been found to see if it meets the age criteria of an antique (at
least 50 years old), before its value can be determined.
Nigeria at 50 and the other matters
“If we have a
showcase of Nigerian contemporary antiques, we will be able to tell a
visual history without going far with words. It would be a
chronological story of Nigeria. For example, we have fought most of our
battles within, so the weapons collected will show how basically we
have self-destructed,” Ogolo said.
The curator pointed
out that it is not only about selling, but also about keeping things
that have been handed down from generations for sentimental reasons. He
said that some people keep it as a statement of social status.
“Collecting is a
way of reinventing one’s self, as it is believed to increase ones
status. Some collect for sheer beauty, or for the sake of the
craftsmanship and the material used.”
He summarised it succinctly by making this appeal: “Please do not
destroy objects of antique value. If you do not know what to do with
it, please give it to me.”
