THE NATION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2013
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The Midweek Magazine E-mail:- ozoluauhakheme@yahoo.com
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O most Nigerians, especially in the Eastern zone, Onitsha in Anambra State is noted for its commerce, as Lagos symbolises the nation’s economic hub. This frontier has been expanded by Onitshaborn artists to include the promotion of cultural activities, especially visual art. The home town of Nigeria’s foremost artist famed for painting the portrait of Queen Elizabeth of England, the late Prof Ben Enwonwu, recently celebrated the Ofala festival to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the ascension of Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe to the Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi) throne. As part of activities to honour the Onitsha monarch, and appreciate his support for the arts, a group art exhibition, Orakwue featuring 17 artists was held penultimate Saturday, at the Alexis Gallery, on Akin Olugbade Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The exhibition, which was mainly sponsored by Diamond Bank Plc, among other supporters, attracted leading art collectors and patrons who share in the dream of Alexis Art Gallery, Lagos in lifting Nigerian contemporary arts and artists. It featured 35 paintings, sculptures and ceramics by 17 artists. The core exhibitors are the Onitsha Agbo artists that included George Edozie, Afam Okwudili, George Nwadiogbu, Ato Arinze, Osaji Dubem, Gaby Emengo, Chinwe Uwatse, Frank Anammah and Onyeoma Mbanefo. Other guest artists were Abiodun Olaku, Alex Nwokolo, Gbenga Offo, Duke Asidere, Agorsor Kofi, Fidelis Odogwu, Tola Wewe and Dominique Zinkpe. The strength of the group exhibition is its diversity and richness as it featured top-flight painters and sculptors, seasoned hands in the creative business as well as not-too-popular artists who are tapping into the platform to get wider audience for the exposition of their collections. Again, the 17 artists were not only from Nigeria but also from West African countries such as Ghana and Benin Republic. The exhibition offered viewers a wide range of high flying Nigerian contemporary artists who are sought after by many collectors. Imagine the richness of a collection that has works by Tola Wewe, Abiodun Olaku, Alex Nwokolo, George Edozie, Duke Asidere among others.
•Ibeji by Tola Wewe
•Achebe
Orakwue: All hail the monarch For being a culture icon, His Royal Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha (Agbogidi), got an April bouquet - group art exhibition, Orakwue – from his kinsmen artists in Lagos, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports. EXHIBITION This spread, according to the proprietor of the two-year-old Alexis Art Gallery, Patty Chidiac was to create a strong formidable creative group for the all important exhibition. She noted that the gallery was excited and privileged to host the monarch on his 10th year on the throne with the group exhibition featuring 40 works from 17 artists.
Interestingly, the exhibition opening did not take the regular format. It was preceded by a red carpet session. Few hours into the opening, over 10 out of the 40 works on display at the exhibition were tagged. At the centre of the medium size hall of the gallery, is a 78-inch wooden sculpture, Queen by Dominique Zinkpe from Benin Republic. The sculpture which is the cynosure of all eyes depicts a armless African Queen with a crown sitting comfortably on her head. The lower
Council acquires Abuja Art Village
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HE National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) has acquired the over three hectares of land of Commonweath Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Arts and Crafts Village, in the Central Business District (CBD) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. A new Certificate of Occupancy(C of O) has been issued to the council by the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS). NCAC Executive Director Mr Mwajim Maidugu handed over the C of O to the Minister of Culture, Edem Duke in Abuja last Friday. The Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Teritory Administration (FCTA) has been engaged in a long drawn battle with NCAC over the ownership of the land. The Secretariat has said the structures on the land were erected by the FCT as a social safety net for talented young men and women to exhibit their craft skills and to showcase Nigeria’s cultural heritage to the world.” Duke said the ministry, on its renewal programme, would collaborate with the private sector to make the place vibrant as a craft market. Located strategically adjacent the Abuja Sheraton Hotels and Towers, the Arts and Crafts Village, covering about 22 hectares, was originally allocated NCAC in 1987 for the construction of its permanent site and other facilities. For lack of funds for immediate development, the piece of land was fenced by NCAC but activities did not start there until 2003, when the Federal Government initiated the construction of round tents that would serve as arts and crafts market for expected visitors during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The village played host to dignitaries from all walks of life during the event, including Queen Elizabeth 11 of England and wives of heads of states as Africa’s emerging market for indigenous arts and crafts. According to Maidugu, the intrigues to revoke the land by the former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir el ‘Rufai persisted and the culture agency temporarily lost its ownership. “But we did not fold our hands; we continued to meet subsequent ministers with all the documents indicating that the piece of land legitimately belongs to us.” Interestingly, by the time the Minister of FCT, Senator Bala
•Duke From Bukola Amusan,Abuja
FACILITY Mohammed returned the land to NCAC, what remained of the 22 hectares was barely 3.24 hectares. Maidugu added that between 2003 and 2010 when the remaining portion of the land was returned to the council, the tents occupied mostly by visual artists and arts and crafts dealers was entirely under the management of FCT, which used the opportunity to sell a greater part of the land. He recalled: “After CHOGM, when el-Rufai revoked the land, we believed it was not done properly and that is why we must praise the present FCT Minister for trying to right the wrong in terms of land allocation. He has seen that this land appropriately belongs to us and has found it, in his wisdom to re-allocate it to us.” As for the arts and crafts dealers, Maidugu said the relationship between NCAC and its tenants would remain cor-
section of the piece- waist to toe- is an intricately produced art that reveals the power, sex and religious influences in the culture of his people. Some of his works are disturbing and arresting constructs of the imagination mirroring the dilemmas and complexities of the artist’s life. Ato Arinze’s terra cotta works such as Holy Mother, were also a delight to the eyes just as the paintings kept turning the heads of viewers.
dial considering their passionate desire to promote the enterprise. He hoped that with the development of the village through the private/public partnership more customers would be attracted both from within and outside the country to the centre. “Our relationship with the present tenants would be very cordial. Part of our coming is to add value to the efforts of the tenants. We will encourage them to stay while we think of how to improve the facilities here and enhance patronage.” When the village is fully developed, Maidugu assured that even the roadside artists would also be accommodated as a studio would be constructed and experts in various arts sector hired to train and retrain younger generations of artists. “More importantly, there would be a research and products department that would see to it that the products are of international standard.” The place, when fully developed, the NCAC boss stated, would accommodate, among other facilities, the Council’s permanent office block, exhibition centre, semi-permanent pavilion for the yearly regional market (Arts and Crafts Expo) as well as performance theatre. Duke expressed delight over the return of the centre to the Ministry. His concern now, he said, was getting investors from the private sector to collaborate with the ministry, not only to ensure that the place is immediately developed but also to promote the activities of arts and crafts dealers to the international community, using modern communication technology. “I do not know how many of them have access to Internet. Foreigners who buy arts and crafts do so through the Internet. I don’t think anybody has spoken to these people about entrepreneurial development, about skills and about new technologies with which to develop their products. That is where the ministry comes in — to help promote their business and improve the quality of their products.” The Minister reiterated that his tour of the village was not to disrupt the on-going business of crafts dealers but to move them from the basic element of low earnings to the practical generation of revenue for themselves and the nation at large. He said the fact that the place was given out to entertain wives of heads of states made it an important landmark for the nation’s arts and craft industry and as such, should be developed beyond its present status. “We are going to develop and improve this facility on a collaborative platform with banks and other private sectors so that it will become a modern art and craft market with conferencing facilities, first class restaurants, improved theatre for performances and lots of varieties that will make the place a complete and unbelievably beautiful venue,” Duke assured