By Taudeen Sowole
Between the periods of
completing formal training and professional career, the number of female
artists that are visible in practice drops rapidly. Most often, the visual arts
profession's loss of young female artists is the gains of other non-creative
sectors of the economy and domestic or family considerations.
 |
| Juliet Ezenwa-Maja Pearce |
Apart from the academia that accommodates the
challenges of female artists, the mainstream practice seems to be hostile, so
suggests the insignificant numerical strength of the softer gender among studio
professionals. Exposing the dismally low number is the Guild of Professional
Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA), which has only two women in its 50 members. In
fact, GFA just recorded its second female member, Juliet Ezenwa Maja-Pearce
when new inductees were formally presented at an elaborate ceremony, in Lagos
last year. Ezenwa Maja-Pearce became the second female member after Ndidi Dike,
a foundation member of the seven-year-old guild. Being a group of artists that pride itself in
'full-time studio practice', the GFA may just be the appropriate window through
which to get out of the labyrinth challenges of women visual artists.
Ezenwa Maja-Pearce's peculiar figural of thin
ladies in stylised renditions as well as quite a number of her mixed media and
relief assemblage are far from a prolific identity, and perhaps contrasts the
artist's cerebral professionalism in activism. From sharing her studio
experience via regular art workshops to lending a voice in ensuring that
professionalism takes a firm root at the moribund Art Galleries Association of
Nigeria (AGAN), Ezenwa Maja-Pearce has proven her worth as an artist whose goal
goes beyond personal gains.
Tracking her art and activism leads me to a
scheduled visit to her studio at a former middle class axis of Surulere,
central Lagos mainland metropolis. Known as 'New Lagos', of the late
1960s/1970s, Surulere has lost its serenity, but the remnants in axis such as
off Ogunlana Drive and Falolu Street offer Ezenwa Maja-Pearce a studio space
within her family house at Abiona Close. The once cherished New Lagos,
interestingly is now just a stroll away from Ojuelegba, one of Lagos' notorious
central bus parks. And that quite a number of intellectual works in visual and
literary contents - including author, Adewale Maja-Pearce's - have been churned
out from the same house is amazingly contrasting to the rowdy aura radiating
from neighbour, Ojuelegba. In fact, the visit of Ezenwa Maja-Pearce's guest on
this mild sunny midday coincides with that of her husband's hosting of a media
crew from AFP
As a woman with family to take care of and a
passion for activism, the creative contents of her art must be the aspect to
place on the sacrifice slab, isn't it? "No.". The artist's creative
contents, she argues "feeds on the truth." The workshops and other
aspects of activism as well as the family challenge "help bring out the
best; if my life is about falsehood, it will reflect in the art that I
produce."
However,
the creative industry and indeed other professions, she agrees, cannot always
have women full of energy, except the society wants super women. "The
society always want an artist and yet a perfect family woman. No, the artist is
not a super woman that the society expects her to be."
Contemporary practice, particularly in
Nigeria keeps challenging artists to broaden their scope, even beyond the
canvas. For Ezenwa Maja-Pearce, a literary support is an extension of the
canvas, so suggests her new work, a publication titled Issues in Contemporary Nigerian Art. "The print copy will be
out before the end of this year 2015," Ezenwa Maja-Pearce enthuses as she
displays the proof-copy on the table during a chat with her guest. "But
it's already online on Amazon.com."
Indeed,
the last one and half decade of Nigerian art appears to have generated more
issues than several decades in the past put together. The "tone" of
the issues in her debut book, she explains "is determined by the
contributors." Apart from the issues raised or not, the work also provides
an opportunity for artists to show that despite the mental state of mind that
is understandably studio-caged, artists can also write and appropriate their
work. "Creating a platform like this book, give us room to write and
generate contents."
Ezenwa
Maja-Pearce notes that creating aesthetic contents is not enough in facing the
challenge of artists and expanding the scope of art appreciation, in
contemporary practice. "Art lovers are getting more sophisticated and highly
intellectual," she argues, warning that, for example, "Fulani Milk's
Maid figural may look attractive, but abstract expression demand more
explanation." But indeed, the strength of intellectuality of visual
contents, according to another school of thoughts, is in the imagery and do not
need volume of writing. "This is part of the issues," she says.
 |
| One of Juliet Ezenwa Maja- Pearce’s works. |
Being
published by New Gong, Issues in
Contemporary Nigerian Art is expected to give birth to another broad window
that will be created to continue the debates on several issues raised in the
book. "After the publication, we hope to have an event that will give more
artists to make input into the issues and generate contents for the art.
On the ground floor of the studio/residence
building is Yemaja Gallery, a member of AGAN. Ezenwa Maja-Pearce is disappointed
with the state of affairs in the embattled art galleries professional group.
But quite ironic that her name was prominent among the front runners of AGAN,
at least during the last two to three years.
When
AGAN was formed in 2008, so much sanity and professionalism was expected to be
built into the relationship between artists and the art galleries. With a dead
silence on the affairs of AGAN, currently, what is the hope of artists,
particularly the young professionals who rely so much on the art galleries?
"AGAN will survive," Ezenwa Maja-Pearce, a member of the association's
event organising committee assures. She discloses that "as it stands now,
one member has seized AGAN's registration documents."
AGAN is not exactly a pleasant story given the
fact that its membership includes artists who were expected to represent the
over all interest of the visual arts professionals. "We had hoped that
artists" participation in the marketing of their work will work better
than relyting on art dealers and galleries who make all the money," Ezenwa
Maja-Pearce explains the importance of artists in AGAN. "We do not want
opportunists to ruin our future." She laments that a country like Nigeria
has no single regular yearly or biannual art event. Again, artists cannot
solely blame others for Nigeria's inability to have a regular art event. For
example, te now rested yearly Art Expo Nigeria, which was last held in 2012 had
AGAN and National Gallery of Art (NGA) as partners. Ezenwa Maja-Pearce
disagrees. The Art Expo, she argues, "should be fully managed by artists."
In
search of the ideal platform of artists where her interest is best protected,
the GFA, she recalls had always been on her radar. In fact, it happened that
she missed being a foundation member. She and some few artists, she discloses,
had plans to make the Lagos chapter of Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) a
full-time studio artists group. "The conflict of interests between the
artists who work full time and those in the academics stopped us from changing
Lagos SNA for the better." She however hopes that with GFA, more
professional groups will spring up.
Being one of the two female members of GFA,
Ezenwa Maja-Pearce seems to have confirmed her passion for belonging to groups
where things are properly done, irrespective of the composition of membership.
For most women professionals, the challenge of managing family and career could
be overwhelming, thereby giving room for 'accept things as they come' attitude.
Ezenwa Maja-Pearce is a member of Female Artists Association of Nigeria.
Perhaps not satisfied just expressing herself
via the art platforms, contributing to the larger society through politics is
worth a trial. She is a member of KOWA Party, a new political group, which has
female presidential candidate, Remi Somaiya. Given the socio-economic situation
confronting Nigerians, is the family challenge not handful enough for Ezenwa
Maja-Pearce? Why delving into so much trouble waters? "I am incapable of
just watching and allow few to mislead the people; I always refuse to
bend." She notes that a society that "punishes people for showing
initiative cannot get things right."
In her
little ways, she has been sharing her thoughts about a just society via several
art workshops. “In fact, I do more of art workshops these days." The
inspiration for using art workshop as a tool for development, she recalls,
"came from my regular participation at the Harmattan Workshop in Agbar
Otor, Delta State."
Few of
Ezenwa Maja-Pearce-facilitated art workshops include Creative Workshop for Young People, 2012; Opus
Dei Centre, Adisa Bashua street
Surulere, Lagos; and Visual Art competition for
secondary schools in Borgu Emirate Council, Niger
State. 2013
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