LBHF Sets For 2014 Literary Competition

By Rebecca Ejifoma

One of the Children's Paintings at VOC

Lagos Black Heritage Festival in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and Diamond Bank calls for entry into the 3rd edition of “Vision of the Child”, where participants will express their vision in both Painting and the Literary Arts from 14th to 21st of April on the Lagos Island and Badagry.

With the theme “The Rule of Law and the Law of Impunity”, the VOC is a component of the yearly LBHF that focuses on the individual vision and artistic inclinations of children between the ages of nine and 12 in any primary or secondary (public or private) schools in Lagos State.”

In a press release issued recently by the Festival Secretary, Mr Foluke Michael, this year, the competition will begin with the literary section: a poem, essay or short story of 300 to 500 words, on the theme. “Those who scale through will then be invited to the festival’s base, Freedom Park (by Broad Street, Lagos); provided with brushes, paint and easel and set to illustrate their literary presentation in the complementary medium of Painting.”

Registration, which opens on 10th of February 2014, will close on 14th March. The organisers explained that the 2014 edition of the VOC is designed as an interactive test to stretch youthful creativity even more than in previous editions, which were also very successful. Instead of the uni-disciplinary interpretation of the given theme, participants will express their vision in both Painting and the Literary Arts.

Meanwhile, this is the premiere edition of what can be regarded as a mini Artistic Decathlon, tailored to the capabilities of the child; adding, “The Festival already envisages an even more intensive contest, with a disciplinary repertory, whose menu would change from edition to edition − but all that is in the future,” Foluke discloses.

Describing the what to expect at the competition, the organisers said that it would be an exhibition of the paintings from last year's theme, “The Thousand Faces of Corruption”, which is set to tour selected sites in Nigeria. “The registration form, which worth N500 (Five Hundred Naira), can be obtained online from www.lagosblackheritagefestival.com/votc. or through the Festival’s office at Freedom Park (Old Colonial Prison), 1 Hospital Road, by Broad Street, Lagos. Completed registration forms can then be submitted at the same LBHF Secretariat at Freedom Park,” it explains.

Therefore, the LBHF invites parents, schools and their teachers to the 2014 edition, as it assures all that prizes will be presented to the winners by the sponsors: Diamond Bank and the Lagos State Government while entries will be mounted for viewing at the Gala event to mark the conclusion of the Festival.    

Bunmi Returns with Metamrophosis

 Rebecca Ejifoma

Symbiotic Metamorphosis by Bunmi

  

With the recent findings that female artists seldom participate in group and solo exhibitions in Nigeria, a dais was set up to spur and bring more African female artists, who crave to express themselves through visual art to the limelight.

At the Terra Kulture Art Gallery, Victoria Island Lagos, Bunmi Oyesanya-Ayaoge’s solo exhibition, titled, Symbiotic Metamorphosis, will run from 22nd to 29th March. The show, which will exude her recent 40 works,

With the intention to satiate her audience at the exhibition, Bunmi’s prolific Metamorphosis tells the journey of womanhood: from a little girl, to a lady, a mother to a grandmother; hence, Symbiotic Metamorphosis. This young girl is holding a flower, which means she’s full of life while the green in the painting represents fertility. After having babies, she still comes into the society again fetching and young. The end of her journey is the old age with all her children around her just like the Biblical Psalms, which illustrates that you’ll have your children around your table.

Although women like Ndidi Dike and Veronica Otigbo have sprung with several solo exhibitions, this makes the world of female visual artists evolve rapidly as their male counterparts'.

Bunmi had had 24 group exhibitions in the past and her first solo "Artforms" in 2007 at the National Museum and Monument Onikan, Lagos. This show, which is her second solo, will exude her recent works including: Bold and Beautiful Fashionistas, Tranquility (Oil on board) this is about calmness in the night, Breaking News (Mixed Media) Village Beauty, Breaking News, Dynamic Dancers, Market Beauty, Facebook Frenzy, Harmattan Haze, Idi Ileke, Intimacy, Iya Ibeji, Mama Oyoyo and Daily Occurrence among others.

Bunmi, known to be a reality painter, said she had influence from her training with Olapo at Universal studios before she went to Auchi Poly. “I am not restricted in anyway; I paint the details of my mind. Like “Bold and Beautiful Fashionistas,” it depicts tubby women. Only those who are bold on the big sides can expose it even on red carpet events; everybody cannot be slim. This piece of work is just to tell people that these people are there.

Although Bunmi was out of the Art circulation since 2008, she visited several places where her works were displayed to the glare of art lovers. “I was always in one or two exhibitions and at the same time taking care of my family. I believe that if you are not the type that has been sleeping before, you’ll always meet up. I’m not sure of the trends now that I’m back but I know that as an artist you can always fit in whenever," she added.

As an independent artist, Bunmi says her aesthetic pieces are exceptional. "Divine inspiration, creative intuition, economic and socio-cultural events are the driving force behind my aesthetic license," in her words.

Olubunmi, who was born in Lagos, hails from Isara-Remo, Ogun state. She graduated from Lagos state Polytechnic in 1998, where she bagged her National Diploma in General Art and in 2002 had her Higher National Diploma in Painting in Auchi Art School, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edo state.

 

TerraKulture to Serves Ogunwo’s Cocktail

Rebecca Ejifoma

Smile (1) By Bolaji Ogunwo

Art lovers and connoisseurs have been called to pay attention with their eyes, as TerraKulture Art Gallery serves Ogunwo’s different flavours of cocktail for visual consumption through his solo exhibition on 8^th of March at 4 p.m.

The exhibition of paintings, which will run from 8^th to 15^th of March at the TerraKulture Victoria Island Lagos, is titled Visual Cocktail and will exude the artist’s 30 works ranging from oil, acrylic, pastel, water colour and mixed media.  According to Bolaji Ogunwo several people have mounted pressure on him to paint Nigerian traditional art but he needed to create a niche.

At a press conference on Thursday, the artist said, “Visual Cocktail is a bid to satisfy the appetites for aesthetics and knowledge through orchestration of colours that are visually edible, coupled with thoughts and values taught by the great minds. It’s an attempt to express timeless truth and proven ideologies opined by great minds in visual language.”

He expounded that his art practice spanning over a decade has witnessed myriad of critique and appreciation by fellow artists, collectors and connoisseurs alike. However, somewhere along the line “I found these philosophical anvils on which I have hammered my creative skill into a definite shape.”

The Chase

Citing Albert Einstein’s famous quote, Ogunwo explained, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result is insanity” coupled with Shiv Khera’s words, “Winners don’t do different things; they do things differently”, therefore, Ogunwo decided not to do different things rather do the common things uncommonly well. “This time, I’m bringing the words of great minds in a visual language as a reminder to our people, because I discovered that the reading is going down the drain,” he said.

Among the works to be displayed include: Pensive, Will Power, the Voyage in series 1, 2 and 3; Vision, Lindigo and Elmina Castle among others. “As a lecturer as well, my rich texture is not just to showcase to people but a commendable feat that has received global recognition; hence, I have consolidated my bond with my palette to mix out works that are didactic and enduring,” adding, “I want to inspire people to flag their wings and fly.”

According to the artist, “I deemed it exigent to bring to the public glare, the aesthetics sensibilities that concluded in my art. I have ventilated in colours, places, events and occurrences that I have witnessed in recent times; I have got something to say.”

Meanwhile, Ogunwo had his first solo exhibition in 2008 titled, “Women and War.” An indigene of Ogun state, he graduated from the University of Lagos in 2000.

With an attempt to chart a course for a stylistic and thematic direction, which was quite cumbersome according to him, Ogunwo urged, “I try to interpret words of great minds in a visual language. I hope one or two persons will learn and take to from here. Enjoy your drink!”

ANA Lagos Gives Dead Roses on Val

Dead Roses by Kemi

Rebecca Ejifoma

To keep the youths abuzz with writings of love and keep them abreast of sharing such moments together (Valentine), the Association of Nigeria Authors Lagos (ANA), presented Kemi Omowaire’s Dead Roses at its official Annual Special Valentine Reading.

Several youths and old writers mounted the podium at the Valentine Reading to express the meaning of their poems, which held at the Board Room, Faculty of Arts, University of Lagos, Akoka at the weekend.

According to the chairman of the Association, Mr Onileagbon Femi, at the event titled, Writings with Love, as the thematic preoccupation of the day is dedicated to love writers. “We give writers the opportunity to mount the stage and breathe life into these characters they have created.”                                                                                

Therefore, several poets including upcoming ones, playwrights and publishers even literary enthusiasts graced the event to give their perspectives through performances, readings, comments and suggestions. “We are trying to boost the literary impulse in our members so that they go out there and be the top notch,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the main course of the day was the public presentation of Kemi Omowaire's new book, Dead Roses. This is an intriguing book on love and loving and has a great message for both "valentiners" and "valentined." A creative write up that builds the characters form in a prosaic style, Dead Roses expounds the youthful life of friendship, relationship, love and all that they entail.

Onileagbon, who read his poem, “And You Said I Shouldn’t Touch?” said, “ANA Lagos wanted to mend broken hearts and help timid hearts find courage to declare hoarded affections. I really hope that, having heard these love poems today in honour of the day, all will go home loved and beloved.”

However the lengthy words, reading through pages of Kemi’s book, there were several breakers that thrilled the participants. Also, the final piece of pleasure from the WordMiners, a talented new duet, was exuded as well as a business seminar after the valentine session.