Spread across seven sections, one
hundred and ten artists placed within one and half-century period refine the
contents of modern and contemporary art of a nation, so suggests a new book
titled Artists of Nigeria.
Authored by artist, Onyema Offoedu-Okeke, the
book, which was presented at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos, recently surpass the
numerical list of artists in most of the previous works of similar subject.
And with 576 pages, including scholarly research as well as high quality
reproduced images of artists’ works, the book thickens layers of interest,
which has been emerging, recently in the documentation of art of Nigerian
origin. Quite contrary to what observers described as long lull on the book
shelves, about five works have been launched in the last one year. The last of
such books, Conversation with Lamidi
Fakeye, authored by Prince Yemisi Shyllon and Ohioma Pogoson was presented
in March at Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
Ahead of presenting Artists of
Nigeria, the author states that his focus was not confined to Nigerian
professionals, or those practicing at home, but include artists whose works
have linked with the country’s space, thus recognizing expatriates and Diaspora
artists. But there comes a kind of exclusion, which, conspicuously, leaves some
note able artists out. In such case, it’s either that the copyright or enough
materials of such artists were not available, Offoedu-Okeke explains.
As voluminous as the book is, requiring quite
a strength to lift it, the weight appears not strong enough to defend
non-mentioning of a particular artist. Also, the criteria, such as year of
graduation of artists used in categorisation undermine the periods, which such
artists made strong impacts.
The artists are grouped in seven sections tagged: Colonial Era,
1851-1950; Pre Independence, 1950-1960; Independence and Pos-independence Eras,
1960-1970; Civil war Aftermath and oil boom, 1970-1980;The Structural
Adjustment Programm {SAP} Era, 1980-1990; and Regeneration and The New Century,
1980-2010.
In the introductory pages of each section, the book offers quite a
scholarly articulation of the subject, apart from separate Forewords by
Representative of Ford Foundation in West Africa, Dr Adhiambo Odaga and,
Professor of Global African Art History and Visual Culture
at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
Sylvester Ogbechi.
 |
| The author, Onyema Offoedu-Okeke {left}; art broker, Robert Mbonu; HRH, Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe; and art patron, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi during the presentation of Artists of Nigeria in Lagos. |
Under the-heading Modernist Aesthetics and Living Art, the author faults the existence of modernity that is confined within the frame line of European definition, leaving African art “mainly in ethnographic term”. African art, he stresses, has its own “agents of modernity”. Offoedu-Okeke supports his argument by using the aesthetics of renowned sculptor, Olowe of Ise {1875-1938} against the assertion of ‘neo-traditional’ art. Olowe’s sculpture, the author argues, exemplifies African artists “who appropriate or continue to produce forms of traditional art also combine traditional aesthetics with contemporary ideas”. Such works, he adds, “are no less complex as those produced by the Zarianists under the banner of Natural Synthesis”.
Indeed, Olowe’s aesthetic existed ahead of his time, so suggests the
revered status of his work. In fact, his work has been well acknowledged by the
west as his sculptures such as doors and columns have become case studies at
institutions of higher learning abroad.
Despite the book’s recognition of Olowe’s work as an example of African
modernity that protects traditional form, the sculptor is missing among the
list of artists profiled under Colonial Era: 1851-1950. Artists profiled under
this era include Aina Onabolu, Akiola Lasekan, Ben Enwonu, Susanne Wenger and
Lamidi Fakeye.
Deservedly, photography gets a fair share of space in the book with
highlight on J.D Okhai Ojeikere, grouped under Pre-Independence Era. And the
inactive years of photo artists showed clearly as no photographer surfaced
until the ‘Regeneration and The New Century’, which features Deji Ajose,
Kelechi Amadi Obi, Mudi Yahaya, George Osodi and Uche James Iroha.
As much as the author attempts to situate the growth of photography in
Nigeria, the name, Jonathan Adagogo Green {1873-1905} is missing in Artists of Nigeria. The omission, again,
stresses the reluctant of Nigerian art historians to accept the Ijaw-born
photographer – known as J.A. Green – in the nation’s modern art space. Green,
according to an American art historian, Lisa
Aronson, was a British colonialists’ photographer whose works are documented in
portraits and landscapes.
During the presentation of her research at Centre for Contemporary Art
(CCA), Lagos, last year, the scholar extolled the creative content of Green’s
work. Veteran photographer, Tam fiofori – also missing in Artists of Nigeria – has been a lone
voice agitating for the inclusion of Green in Nigeria’s modernity. Over the
decades, art historians, home and the Diaspora have taken it for granted that
Onabolu is the founder of Nigerian modern art, hence the country’s modernity
starts from the art teacher’s period of colonial era.
As commendable as the boldness of Artists of Nigeria is, its
categorization of artist like Abiodun Olaku, in separate sections from Olu
Ajayi and Sam Ovraiti, for example, is debate able. The groupings of the book
suggest that Olaku’s well known significant period of career predates that of
Ajayi and Ovraiti.
With such groupings, it does appear that
the book’s criteria, in grouping, is period of graduation or birth, rather than
the time of career such artists started impacting on their environment. The
Olaku example is a typical case study: though graduated earlier than the other
two artists, he is best grouped in the SAP Era because his impacts,
particularly in the area of inspiring full time studio practice came at this
same period artists such as Ovraiti, Ajayi and others were also championing
similar goals.
Offoedu-Okeke’s Artists of Nigeria may have its minor errors such as misspelling of
a name and “1987” instead of 1897, but whoever missed the opportunity of being
documented in the highly voluminous work is left out of one of the most
comprehensive and scholarly articulated works on artists from Nigeria.
Odaga, in the Foreword says Ford Foundation was pleased to have
supported the publishing of the book. Ford, adds, hopes that “Artists of Nigeria will deepen our
collective knowledge and admiration of Nigerian and indeed, the revolution of
Africa’s remarkable art history”.
Ofr the author, Nigeria
has its assess in “uniqueness- the ethnic
plurality” as a “strength garnered from cultural concord is exemplary of
how a nation of more 200 ethnic languages can draw supreme strength from the
composition of its various abilities and become a true technological and
economic power”.
He
argues that art drives “any industrial revolution” especially in areas such as
generating models in the creation of auto technology and construction.
Therefore, the book, he explains, “is my gift to humanity. It is my wish that
this book will increasingly stimulate discussions and initiatives to drive the
economic revolution Nigeria needs”.
Offoedu-Okeke had contributed articles to several art
exhibitions such as an essay on Nigeria's modernism featured in the catalogue
of U.K.-based artist, Yinka Shonibare's show Double Dutch held at Boijmans Van
Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
After
his debut art exhibition titled Spring Forever in 1997 at the Russian Cultural
Centre, Lagos, Offoedu-Okeke had a solo exhibition in 2000, titled Idioms of
Butterfly Kisses at Mydrim Art Gallery, Lagos Island.
Some of
his shows abroad include the tour event in 2000, 'Our World in the Year 2000,
held at Mall Galleries, London, England; World Trade Centre, Stockholm, Sweden;
United Nations Headquarters, New York, U.S.
Last
year, some of the books presented by other authors that document Nigerian art
and artists include Making History: The
Femi Akinsanya African Art Collection, edited by
Ogbechie; Contemporary
Nigerian Art in Lagos Private Collections, by Jess Castellote.
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