A-ARTs: In Colours and Creativity …Akinsola returns with art ‘mistress’

BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE

AFTER a three-year break, Biola Akinsola and her yearly all-female art show returned yesterday with the theme Colours and Creativity. The last edition themed Women In Visual Art (WIVA) Perspective was in 2008.

Holding at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, Akinsola says the show “is a celebration of the part women have played in the socio economic development of West Africa.”

Wired Mind, a painting by Olawunmi Banjo

For the return, which runs till May 16, three Ghanaian artists Nyornuwofia Agorsor, Joyce Bubune Dowokpor and Fatric Bewong join Nigerian artists such as Victoria Udondian, Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce, Clara Aden, Chidinma Ochu, Chinonye Gloria Ejimofor, Folashade Ogunlade, Kunmi Otitoju, Millicent Okocha, Olawunmi Banjo, Taiye Idahor, Tyna Adebowale and Victoria Onyeoma Mbanefo.

Viewed via soft copies few days earlier, some of the works showed that the gathering is a collage of free themes even as some of the artists exuded gender sentiment while others had liberal themes.

Aden comes Food for Thought

From regulars such as Aden comes Food for Thought, while Banjo’s Wired Mind offers a trip into the psycho realm. On the choice of theme, Banjo says, “art is a vision and experience that helps people see the true significance of life, through the eyes of an artist.”

Idahor says: "I am inspired by everyday life and the ever changing culture of my space; hence my work challenges and questions the reason for these changes. Also in using these waste objects in my work, it points a finger directly at the materialistic culture that has eaten deep into the world and now defines the character of my city and home and even the art I make."

For Ejimofor, it’s all about Deep in Thought while Bewong shares her Religious Encounter and Ogunlade talks of My Many Stages.

In Okocha’s strokes come her thoughts on African motive, as it’s Break Time for Agorsor, and Adebowale looks at The Mender.

For the Barcelona, Spain-based designer, Otitoju, creativity is combining the native Yoruba hand-woven aso-oke with leather sourced from her host country to produce hand-made bags and leather goods. Her desire, she says, “is to create contemporary leather goods that experiment with colour and texture.”

Being part of the gathering, Mbanefo must have been elated. She argues that “it is the right step towards the recognition of women’s creativity and importance in the art world.”

And not entirely devoid of the relatively known names as printmaker, Ezenwa Maja-Pearce makes “a guest appearance” and mixed media artist Udondian add a touch of familiarity to the group.

Biola Akinsola, CEO of Tour Shop, orgaiseers of Colours and Creativity

AKINSOLA notes that coming back after the long break, her art amazons “will focus on the contributions of female artists to cultural development in West Africa.”

The come-back, she discloses is not just about showing the works of women artists, but include “a round table discussion scheduled for Wednesday, May 9, 2012 in the Exhibition Hall, National Museum where Ezenwa Maja- Pearce will speak on the topic The Woman and Her Creativity – Cooperation or Conflict?” A group, Development Initiative Network (DIN), Akinsola says will speak on the topic, Insurance, Art Business and Copyright law for visual artists.

She notes that sustaining the show every year is a challenge, and hopes for corporate supports from corporate and individual lovers of arts.

Art on chessboard with Tunde Onakoya, Lanre Olagoke