By Tajudeen Sowole
For over 15 years, Chike
Onuorah seemed to have predicted the current state of Nigeria's socio-economic
challenges - on canvas - when he engaged some salient themes and preserved such
till date for an appropriate period. Mostly from his personal collection, the
paintings, which probe into people's states of minds in perceiving situation
and makes the best of it, form major part of the artist's ongoing exhibition.
Titled Discerning Minds, Onourah's
exhibition, showing at Moorehouse Ikoyi, Lagos, suggests how the artist delves
into the terrain of psychoanalyst, with his palette. Typical of the artist, his
themes have always been laced with subjects that compel viewers to see the
paintings either as a therapeutic balm or piercing truths that set people on
soul searching.
For Discerning Minds, the gaze is a
metaphor, from which Onuorah distils mental functions of responsive effects of
how people make the best of their lives or squander it. While one may have to
leave the artist to sort out art's capability in that aspect of science with fans
of late Austrian physician, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the styles and technique
in rendition of the paintinsg are more of importance in art appropriation. The
title piece, a big close view of what appears like a lady's eyes, nose and lips
raises questions about the important part of the body that plays so much role
in discernment. "The eyes do," Onuorah says during my visit to the
exhibition few days after it's formal opening. If the eyes are the centre of
action as he intends, the rest of facial features are - in creative context -
competing with the eyes for attention. Perhaps, just the eyes could have been
more precise, and convey the whole message of discernment, isn't it? "It
could be too scary having just the eyes bold on canvas."
Smooth brushing style or technique is hardly a
style for Onuorah. But Discerning Minds as a title work is quite distinct
from the rest of over 20 pieces mounted at the venue's lobby, particularly, the
features such as nose and lips, which apparently soften, or rescues the concept
from the path of stern expression.
From the challenge of alertness, which the
central theme focuses, comes quite a tone of respite in Double Blessing,
two-figure of identical look (ibeji).
For a socio-economic environment such as Nigeria's, where spirituality at
religious level is deeply piercing through the people's lives, painting such as
this could become a prayer point.
And quite a number of pieces set in rural
areas, of which the artist believes could help city dwellers reflect on
neighourly love. He argues that sharing and "caring for the others exists
in rural areas," which makes it less chaotic. He particularly cites the
current state of probity into the country's past financial recklessness.
"Lack of love and respect for the other person is a major reason looters
of Nigerian treasury are stealing our commonwealth." He insists that
"if you love your country, you wouldn't steal from the people."
The retrospection tone of Discerning Minds exists
in works such as One Day At
A Time
dated 2001 as well as the theme piece, Discerning
Minds, produced in 2007. He discloses
that showing the works and others of similar age was deliberate. "Some of
the paintings have been purposely kept away from the public till a moment like
this, knowing fully well that time and relevance add value to art."
Among the new paintings on
display are Talk About the Beautiful Soul, Unstoppable Spirit, Colour Of My Soul Here
and Perfect Puzzle: Woman.
Apart from a tensioned year of Nigeria's
general election in 2015, Onuorah has been having a solo exhibition yearly. For
examples in 2013, he showed Fireworks
at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagosan exhibition Onuorah describes “explosion
of creativity.”
In 2014, it was Priceless Heritage, at
Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Meanwhile a trace of his past technique,
‘Crackilino’ exists in his current exhibition. Amog similar techniques of the
artist aith similar coinage included Splashillino and Plastillino,
A poetry excerpts from his Artist Statement on
Discerning Minds: On the piece titled Double
Blessings. “Give me the blessings in
double
Make them two for one and
four for two
Release the love that one
will be able
To know that life is better
with you
In pairs the greatest of
gifts do come
That one may stand when
another may fall
Watch our double blessings
become
The strength we share, one
and all.”
And the title work, Discerning Minds
“What can you see when you
look
What do you see when you
look
What do you know when you
think
What do you feel when you
touch
What do you do where you go
Where do you go to when you
walk
What do you say when you
talk.”
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