By
Tajudeen Sowole
When
an artist thickens the texture of his palette from a paint medium such as water
colour to acrylic, it may appear common. But for Chika Idu there is so much to
the transition. In fact, he had a solo art exhibition titled Intro, which opened at Quintessence
Gallery, Lekki, Lagos, a few weeks ago, which was dedicated to the transition from
his long romance with water colour to acrylic.
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One
of Chika Idu’s works in acrylic titled Faith
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"I have been looking for a way to be
more expressive, this exhibition affords me the opportunity," said the
painter who is a member of Defatori Studio, one of the oldest group studios in
Lagos. Acrylic, he clarified, "is not really new to me." Having been
experimenting with it "for six years, his inability to share the works of
the experimentation with the public, he explained, was based on "the need
for perfection."
Out of
the 20 works exhibited, the artist's past still hovered around as some pieces in
water colours were not left out. He assured that despite changing the medium
from water colour to acrylic, his identity in the context of rendition or form
remains intact. Also in the new face of
Idu's art are the technique and aesthetics. For example, works such as Faith
and Ijo Olomo, among others stress the artist’s new direction.
And now
that he is no longer confined within a single medium, he has also expanded how
his palette determines the tone of a theme. "A particular medium comes
with the demand of the theme." On his choice of theme, he seemed to have
dropped his focus on the society, noting that his works in the past were viewed
from negative perspective. Patriotism, he said, sometimes has unpleasant prize
with it. And having gone through that path, he declared that "I now paint
without any message in mind," perhaps just focusing on aesthetics.
From
Idu’s Artist Statement: “ I have been engaged in several experiments in search of avenues through
which I can communicate without compromising my energy and message, I have been
experimenting with acrylic medium for six years and this will be the first time
i will be showing them in large quantity.
I
see this technique and style diversity as an opportunity to express myself in
any way i choose, for me its like having the command of several languages, there
are some expressions with stronger and more direct meaning in some languages
than others, this truth can be related to my ability to express myself in
various styles.”
Idu has 22 years studio experience during
when he studied painting in Auchi polytechnic in Edo state from 1993-1998.
His bio
says he is a restless artist who has on many occasions conducted several
experiments with various medium and always seeking for a new and original
system of expression.
He has conducted and participated in several
workshops as a youth counsellor, motivational speaker, art teacher/instructor
and a poet.
He is a founding member of Defactori Studio
and founder of Sable Water Club.
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