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.