By
Tajudeen Sowole
The expanding prospects of African
economy, which is attracting greater number of foreign investors is also
opening a new chapter of interest in the creative sector, so suggests an
ongoing group exhibition aimed at taking the art to the realm of mainstream
investment.
In many ways,
the ongoing exhibition at the Signature Gallery on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, opens a
new vista for art display in Lagos
art circuit.
Titled Fresh Vernacular, and curated by photographer, Mudi Yahaya, the
exhibition, which opened two weeks ago, indeed, presents new ideas even in the
thematic focus and stylistic preference of the participating artists – many of
whom are fresh faces on the scene.
In a way, the show also signifies a new
template in relationship between artists and corporate Nigeria as it enjoys
generous attention from a corporate organization,
Renaissance
Capital, a member of a global firm, Renaissance Group. This indeed is a feat
that is rarely seen in corporate Nigeria’s intervention in art packaging or
promotion.
The quality intervention by the
investment bankers can be easily glimpsed from the quality of the show, and in
particular, the literature (brochure) that supports it.
WHILE
artists such as Cyril Oma, Adewale Fatai, Uthman Wahab and Soji Adesina bring fresh
energies and perspectives expected of the young-up-and-coming, the established hands like Ndidi
Dike and Yahaya invest their experience with varied forms and techniques and
resourcefulness as tested artists even as they showed their new styles and
techniques.
Instructively also, the Fresh Vernacular is raising the bar in
art display and appreciation as it is scheduled to run for one month, ending
April 30, 2012; that is unlike most shows that struggle to run for maximum two
weeks.
And what’s more, the CEO of Renaissance Capital, West Africa, Yvonne Ike,
responding to a question on the motive of her organisation in sponsoring the
show, said, “we are not in this to make money by selling art works.”
Perhaps it’s a Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) venture then? She said, “It goes beyond CSR,” Ike insisted shortly after taking her
guests to see the exhibits.
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Portrait of A. Lasekan, by Cyril Oma
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FROM the curatorial design for the
gallery, which created more breathing space for the works, to the rendition of
the artists in refreshing styles and techniques Fresh Vernacular brings new way of promoting and appreciating art.
As if responding t the yearnings
of the art community who still look forward to the recovery of Nigeria’s most
wanted art piece, Tutu (a portraiture
of an unidentified lady Ben Enwonwu met at the palace of Oni, in Ile-Ife), the young
artist, Oma says, Here is Tutu. It’s
a tribute to the late master, a closer view of Enwonwu’s Tutu: not exactly satirical, but quite an amusing portraiture.
Perhaps Oma tries to bring closer whatever Enwonwu ‘missed’ in details when he
painted that work in 1973, ten years before the young artist was born.
Also, Oma, in another similar work, Portrait of A. Lasekan, re-enacts the Portrait of A Man, originally painted by
the pioneer cartoonist and art teacher, Akinola Lasekan (1916-1972).
With fragmented strokes, western
ochreous tone and exorcising-like images in the series, Face It and Wog,
Adewale’s rendition roves around impressionistic form. Though not a form or
style that can be easily linked to a young artist, it might just grow with
Adewale, and perhaps becomes an identity.
Although Uthman’s thought on beauty
challenges the western notion in the portraitures, Victorian Lagos series, there appears to be what looks like
Africans’ identity contradiction. For example, it is disturbing that these
characters who are dressed in Victorian fashions are agitators for
emancipation: each of the three portraits, paradoxically, expresses freedom, so
suggests the inscriptions OMINIRA (Freedom)
on the piece of papers in their hands.
Uthman’s work also confirms the
increasing popularity of fabric in concepts among artists, though with
different approach. In ths experiment of form with fabrics, he joins
Nigerian-born British artist, Yinka Shonibare, Nigerian-American, Kehinde Wiley
and recently hosted-in-Lagos, South Africa-based American artist, Gary Stephens.
Loss of identity, which is often blamed
on individual’s poor state of finance, appears to have found an argument in the
Torso series of Adesina. Like the
semi-nude images of Blue Torso, Red Torso, littered with currency notes,
explaining different levels of modern day slavery via sexuality, within Africa
and across the seas, loss of value keeps finding blame, wrongly in poverty.
A re-visit of the old postage
stamps on canvas could be exciting as Adesina’s design pieces remind of the
British colonial rule, and the balkanization of Nigeria into North, South and
Lagos.
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Postage Stamps Series by Soji Adesina
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STRENGTHENING the freshness of this show,
Yahaya brings his digitalised imaging technique to the fore. In his Masquerades and the City series, old
architectures — some well preserved and others fallen apart — matted with not
too colourful egunguns draw attention
to what the photo-artist described as a metaphor in loss of identity. He argued
that the “masquerade is a metaphor for African dignity, respect, greatness and
authority, reminder of social codes.” Yahaya however, lamented that that these
codes have been “eroded” by western architecture.
Few weeks before the opening of Fresh Vernacular, Dike, in the solo show
Unknown Pleasures and Competing
Tendencies held at National Museum, Onikan, Lagos unveiled a style and
technique, which dwelled more on fresh ways of using materials. This, she
continues in the linear and splashing abstractions in the show at the Signature.
REALLY, what kind of investment is
Renaissance Capital focusing by gathering six artists in an art exhibition that
lacks traces of commercial venture? Ike disclosed that it’s about a focus on
emerging market, and new approach to doing things, hence the choice of the
artists and the theme.
“When we get to any place, we actually establish our
presence; work and collaborate with the local experts.” The arts, she
explained, is one of the ways to disseminate this value.
“Supporting the arts is to contribute to
the environment, and most importantly, it’s a way to express the vast
opportunity in Africa; talk about young artists doing new things in different
ways.”
She stressed that Fresh Vernacular is a refreshing attempt to promote thought-provoking
art that will stimulate intellectual encounters. “This exhibition is the
beginning of many innovative initiatives by Signature & Beyond to
expose the works of emerging yet important Nigerian contemporary artists on the
local and international scene.”
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Victorian Lagos Series by Uthman Wahab
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She argued that for capital
market to really get to their target, “we want the sector to open up. The show
is also pushing this value out to open up the sector. And in terms of a cutting
edge art experience, it resonates with how we operate in the market and we want
to relate with more talents in the community. The art is another way to express
the conviction of opportunity in Africa.”
And wouldn’t this goal be better achieved
exhibiting works of the masters alongside the younger artists, Ike said, “We
are not using the old masters: we are looking for new ways of solving problem.
You don’t need to be an old master to produce a masterpiece.”
Renaissance Capital operates in six
countries in Africa as a member of a global Renaissance Group, which has
offices in 20 countries.
