Nigeria Content Online

Chike Onuorah’s
latest exhibition, ‘Commitment’ opened at Terra Kulture on December 4,
2010. Displayed prominently on the gallery wall was the exhibition’s
title painting, ‘Commitment’, which encapsulated the theme of the show.

The painting of a
woman carrying a baby with three hands painted in different colours,
the artist said the work depicted dependency and then responsibility.
“Your kids are dependent on you. They give you a sense of purpose. It’s
only commitment that will make you nurture a child that can give you
nothing in return,” he said.He added that one needs three hands to
raise a child; one to love, another to nurture and a third for
discipline. Hardly surprising that in the piece, the hand meant for
discipline is the longest.

Onuorah’s
philosophy of commitment is one he holds dear. “There is no success
without commitment,” he pointed out. “It takes commitment to bring out
what is on the inside to reality.” Onuorah also practises commitment;
his determination to always mount an exhibition every year no matter
what it costs him, attests to this.

The week-long
exhibition showcased about 30 works of different media: oil, acrylic
and charcoal on canvas. One unique thing that did not go unnoticed was
the fact that the artist had attached a short poem to every single
painting on display.

On the reason
behind this, he said that a lot of people who have no eye for art would
come to an exhibition like this and leave without an understanding of
the works and the message they intended to convey. “The poems will help
the viewers in that it will lead them into a dialogue with the picture.
So they can get what you are saying,” he explained.

In addition to
this, Onuorah disclosed that the inspiration for each of the poems came
as he worked on the paintings; and they are meant for eventual
publication. The poetic accompaniment to one of the works, ‘Finally’,
expressed relief and a sense of accomplishment.Another one titled ‘Wall
Street’, with its portrayal of people and their different means of
livelihoods, expressed street sense and the importance of being skilled
in one’s chosen endeavour. ‘Togetherness’, which was a bit more
abstract and symbolic in design, carried with it an eight-line poem
that spoke about the spirit of unity.

On what influences
his art, Onuorah stated, “God is my influence. I have seen many works
and every artist has his own individual style. I am doing my own thing.
I paint what I see and feel”.

Asked why there
seemed to be quite a focus on the female figure in many of the
paintings, Onuorah said that women are expressive and he finds them a
fluid medium through which to express whatever he wants to say through
his paintings.

For instance, the
painting titled ‘Finally’ was a woman with one clenched hand raised in
expression that could be interpreted in different ways, even if the
poem had not revealed that it was an expression of achievement.

Onuorah studied
Fine Arts at the University of Benin and graduated in 1988. Aside from
art practice, he has worked as a creative consultant. The artist has
also conducted quite a number of exhibitions in and outside Nigeria;
and is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) in addition to
the Atlanta Society of Artists, USA and Romania Society of Artists.

The curator at the
Terra Kulture Art Gallery, Olumide Faturoti, commended Onuorah for his
commitment to his work. “His exhibitions have been consistent” he said.

‘Commitment’ is at Terra Kulture from December 4 to 10.