BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
BASED on the partnership between organisers of a show holding at the
City Mall Art Exhibition Hall, Onikan, Lagos Shopping Complex, and the artists
on parade, a concerted effort is being made to up the ante of art appreciation
and education in the country.
An initiative of
Biodun Omolayo Gallery, with the support of the management of City Mall, the
new art space opened recently with the show titled, Removing The Veil, currently showing till next week. It brings new
and familiar artists under one roof.
Though the theme of
the show appears tailored to the opening, it, however, speaks more on a new
frontiers: luring different sections of the economy into art appreciation.
Omolayo, who has
been promoting art through his gallery inside the National Museum, Onikan
complex, notes that as shopping malls are becoming more attractive to people,
art must be part of that excitement.
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| Inside the City Mall Art Exhibition Hall, Onikan, Lagos |
On this mission
with Omolayo are painters and sculptors selected across genres, but almost of
the same generation.
With 20
sculptures and 47 paintings from artists such as Adeola Balogun, Olotu
Oyerinde, Veronica Ekpei, Bede Umeh, Soji Yoloye, Kehinde Oso, Juliet
Ezenwa Maja-Pearse, Abdulrasaq Ahmed, Joseph Ezeh, Francis Denedo, Adulkareem
Fatai, Christopher Alkali and Matthew Adedoyin, the show, indeed, provides the
right mix and values needed in such a venture aimed at courting new patrons.
Olotu’s
monochrome (documentary paintings), Balogun’s metal and mixed media (depiction
currently exploring wild life), as well as Ekpei’s wood carving and
Maja-Pearse’s shrine-like installation, all bring different perspectives to
what the new patron will like to see in the new year.
As an emerging
name such as Oso raves in his familiar themes on children, a fresh name such as
Ahmed, whose work is mostly in mixed media of painting and old newspaper cut
outs, announces his arrival as a new artist to watch.
Ahmed’s strokes
and his intellectual depth take you into a deeper aesthetic realm, subtly
boosted by conservative application of light and shades.
BUT the question is, with the increasing challenge of inadequate art
exhibition space in Lagos and higher cost of promoting new talents as well as
supporting older names for stronger visibility, what exactly is the City Mall
Art Exhibition Hall bringing onto the table for the much expected change that
would relief artists of financial and other logistics cost?
It’s a broader
support for artists beyond what is currently available in most art galleries,
Omolayo explains.
He says the City
Mall art hall would like to help artists take care of most areas that burden
them during preparation for shows, so that “the artists can concentrate more on
their studio works.”
He reveals that aside
from the regular art shows, the venue would also serve as studios, particularly
for informal art education or vocation. Though Omolayo’s well known youth
programme, Young at Art is expected
to be a regular feature of the new venue, he notes, “the City Mall Exhibition
and art studio offer visitors to the shopping mall opportunity to leave their
young ones with the studio for exposure to the world of creativity.”
During the opening,
the support appeared to have started so soon as some top patrons of the Lagos
art scene came in to join in Removing the
Veil. They included Omooba Yemisi
Shyllon of OYASAF; Mr. Sammy Olagbaju, Chairman, Visual Art Society of Nigeria
(VASON); Engr.& Mrs. C A Aladewolu, Chairman, TECO Group; Pastor Seyi
Oladimeli (C.E.O of Church Management Consult) and hip-hop artist, Zaki Adzee.
One of the other
art-related activities and initiatives of Omolayo expected to be regular
feature is Sweet Art, a workshop designed for women.
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