By
Tajudeen Sowole
When
a young artist replicates the signature of a master to the point of identical aesthetics,
it may turn out a good gamble as Morenikeji Olumide attempts in a combined-sculpture and painting.
The young, Lagos-based artist's relief
of wood replicates master El Anatsui's panel rendition in sculpture. But Morenike's
journey to a masterly future career via the shadow of Anatsui looks like a risk
worth taking.
Morenikeji Olumide’s panel wood of relief sculpture and painting |
Unlike Gerrard Chukwuma – another young
artist who uses the technique of
Anatsui - Olumide was not a student of the Ghanaian-born Nigerian master. Though
he studied painting at the same University of Nigeria (UNN) Usukka, Enugu
State, but not under the tutelage of Anatsui. So, how and when did Olumide come
across the passion for relief sculpture that is very much like the Nsukka
master? "I wasn't doing this at UNN: I majored in painting, but started
relief sculpture just two years ago," Olumide said during a chat in his
promoter, Peter Imo's office in Lagos. "I hardly knew Anatsui's work at
school because he was never my teacher."
Coming from a painting discipline, his
style of sculpture is heavily laced with the fluid medium. Olumide would not
see his work as a change from the painting he has been for many years. "Not
exactly a change. It is still painting, but on a relief surface."
Whatever Olumide picked from Nsukka,
particularly in the area of native signs and symbols represented in uli motifs, he seemed to have brought
into his Yoruba culture. Specifically, his style of motifs-populated relief
sculpture is inspired by the works of adire
artists in his hometown, Itoku,
Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Over the ages, artists, would not stop
situating art and deconstructing its essence. For Olumide, art of self-
expression must come with some relevant contents. "I feel it
is an
expression of one’s experience in relation to issues, events, history, etc of the artist’s environment."
Based on his wide view of art, the choice
of material and medium, he said, enhances better communication with his work
and appropriation of the contents. "My choice of media informs people about my statement of
mind as instilled by my culture. In my art I usually try to create a mood or
feeling, quite often it reflects human strength, beauty, joy, excitement or
even vanity. My art is an effort at working through and communicating these
feelings with my local dialects as a vehicle. I like it when my wood panels
talk to the audience. As an artist there are several things I may not be able
to communicate to people verbally hence my choice of Yoruba adages on my
panels."
His bio reads: Olumide studied Fine and
Applied Art at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 2005. His conceptual
approach to art involves the use of diverse media to explore the rich ethical
value of the relationship and life style of diverse Nigerian ethnic background,
but recently his wood panels on the ‘Wisdom series’ have greatly focused on Yoruba adages and folk
tales. He has taken part in different art projects, shows, exhibition and
workshops both within and outside Nigeria.
The promoter, Imo is an art enthusiast
who has been in the art business for over 15 years. A graduate of Government
and Public Administration from the Abia State University, Uturu Okigwe, Imo went
straight into art business after his graduation.
Imo disclosed that he was
inspired to venture into art business "by the fact that I am a self-taught
artist and actually took art classes, but never graduated as an artist."
He said he has produced about 20 paintings which are in the hands of private
collectors. His collectors, he recalled, inspired and encouraged him during his
early years in the art business.
His bio says: Imo took part in the
first Caterina de Medici International painting competition and award, in
Florence, Italy 2002 where he obtained a certificate and a bronze medal for his participation.
Two Nigerian artists who accompanied him for the event won a silver medal and a
cash prize for coming third and fourth place. 1n 2009 he enrolled another
Nigerian artist Samuel Ebohon for the same event where the artist emerged with
a gold medal and a cash prize of 10 thousand euro.
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