A 2017 painting titled 'Entangled' by Olufemi Arogundade
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In the increasingly competitive Lagos art space, most young artists
are always stranded at the crossroads of art appreciation. But Olufemi
Arogundade, who came into the world of art from architecture background, would
not accept the traditional rules of the established galleries in Lagos. After
several frustrating attempts at pushing his art onto the city's mainstream
market space, Arogundade chose to take the battle of
survival straight into the
realm of the city's art business. The result is a moderate one-floor space,
Zarnellia Art Gallery, Lekki Phase-1.
Why should serene choice area like Lekki
Phase-1 be the place to set up a new art gallery business? In reality, the
Lekki Phase-1 Estate seems to have lost its exclusive residential status, as
Arogundade's art business adds to quite a number of other commercial spaces,
even on the same street. For Zarnellia, it's not exactly an unfamiliar terrain
in art business. Across on the other side of the main express is Nike Art
Centre, a five-year-old facility with commercial art gallery as its main focus.
But the new art space is cutting its own niche
from the traumatic experience of his founder. On the walls of Zarnellia are unknown,
but fresh names of young artists whose skills - in styles and techniques -
exude prospect in art appreciation. Interestingly, Arogundade's eclectic
styles, perhaps reflecting his experimental art periods, add to the rich variety
of displays on the walls. Among such works of his are set of series, which he
says reflect how he thinks Lagos has changed since he left the city eight years
ago.
"These series are all about my
reconnection with Nigeria after eight years," he said, noting that "I
realised that everybody has changed on my return."
Whatever he perceived as
change would not, however, slow him down. In fact, his art skill got him
"a job as art director for the movie titled Sisterly.” And being the artist behind the art content direction of
Sisterly appeared to have given him
quite a fortune to confront the Lagos art establishment.
"I made enough money from the movie to
get the gallery set up," he stated.
As an artist-gallerist, who
has identified an area of strength in showing young artists, there seems to be
genres and by-products of art up Arogundade's sleeves. From the first quarter
of 2018, for example, "showing photography," he discloses, "is
the focus of the gallery in January." And the by-products of selling art,
which Zarnellia engages include "teaching art to young and adults
enthusiasts" saying, "we offer art tutorials such as life drawing for
adults, expressive acrylic and watercolour classes for kids (age 3-12) and art
history through practice for young teens and adults."
Some of the artists showing at the gallery, he
explains, support the art tutorials as resource persons.
Zarnellia, a wing of two duplex facility, but ‘remodelled’
to generate art space, is actually still evolving despite what looks like
segmented rooms based on thematic renditions and categories of works on
display.
"And by next year (2018), the space will
change further," he assures.
While in search of brand identity, an
emotional, motherly - attachment came to mind and which generated the name of
the gallery. Arogundade recalls that Zarnellia was the name of his mother's
rested interior design showroom.
“I wanted to carry on this name as the next
generation and revive the brand," he enthused.
Between interior design showroom and art
gallery, there exists a thin line. However, setting up a gallery at the time
when the Lagos art space is sprouting new ideas and fresh artists, no doubt,
suggest increasing prospect in the city's art market.
"Art market in Lagos is already
big," Arogundade, who holds a Bachelor and Master degrees in two areas of
architecture, concedes. But one's experience, over the decades, has shown that ‘big’
is relative in the context of art appreciation. Apart from showing young
artists, Arogundade, 25, seems to know which direction to focus, particularly
in generating patronage for fresh collection on the walls at Zarnellia. In this
context, he has his architecture background on which to build the gallery's art
patronage.
"We are trying to reach out to a lot of
interior galleries and construction people," he enthuses. "We are
also reaching out to a lot of young collectors." In fact, his hope lies on
what he describes as: "Young collectors investing in young artists is the
way to go."
Perhaps, one of the two youngest art
gallerists under 30 in Lagos, Arogundade warns that if the market must expand,
art business should not be the exclusive preserve of the established
professionals, noting, "I am like the youngest in the gallery business in
Lagos, which is encouraging. More young Nigerians with passion are welcome on
board."
To strengthen the gallery's
concept of 'young investors’ buying young artists’ works, "there is a new
exhibition every month for artists to have strong platform."
Artists of Zarnellia are no doubt of fresh
signatures: Akintomide Okanbi, Awobusoyi Yomi, Igbinovia Omon Sophia, Nwaneri
Queen, Ogbuefi Pascal Tochukwu, Roanna Tella, Senibo Nelson Jaja and Abisola
Gbadamosi. Others include Onyekachi Bertha, Opedun Damilola, Madu John, Waring
Luc, Opeyemi Mathew, Paul Oke, Ogunsola Tayo, Nneji Anthonia and Obinka
Vincent.
Arogundade holds degrees in Interior
Architecture from the University of Brighton and Masters in Sustainable
Architecture from the University of Portsmouth, both in the U.K. His work
experience before setting up Zarnellia includes luxury residential architecture
sector as well as group and solo art exhibitions. He was voted best Art Director
in the hit show, First Stars, which aired on Ebonylife TV in 2016.
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