Adeodunfa's Faces and Phases Thrills Audience

Adeodunfa shares his joy of being an artist and collector through his abstract group art exhibition series and his new Oil on lace method held at the Terra Kulture Art Gallery in Victoria Island at the weekend, Rebecca Ejifoma writes…

Adeodunfa

 

"My art depicts my true inner feelings; no matter the theme I work on. That’s why I’ve always had different styles over different periods in my life and different pallet to adorn my different surfaces. These are the element that gives breath to my art life,” says Adeodunfa. His repertoires are appealing to the eyes, as they thrilled the large audience that trooped into the hall at Terra Kulture gallery. With his new, fresh and captivating lace work; the artist adorns his paintings with butterflies, which he calls his taste of beauty. Exuded on the walls of the gallery, his prolific pieces and those aesthetic works he collected sent his message of joy across to art aficionados.

Of course, there is the belief that artists are forces of thoughts and creators of castles; the 35 works displayed throughout the one week, as they leave the viewers’ to muse twice. And with his expressions on large canvases, there is no gainsaying that Adeodunfa is an artist, who knows his onions; hence, has painted his name in the minds’ eyes of art lovers. 

Faces and Phases, the theme song of the group exhibition, which ran from September 6 to 12, was based on the planned – serializing of the exhibition.  For every group of artists shown at a particular time, the focus, he explained “will be on the common stages that the artists have gone through.”

The artist explained that ‘faces’ symbolise the different artists participating in the exhibition while ‘phases’ is their different times, styles and ideas coming together to show what they have. “This is the second running of Faces and Phases. I had the first one during my solo exhibition titled ‘Faces and Phases’. It is a documentation of the lives of artists with our works and stereotype.”

The exhibition brought together a group of young Nigerian artists, whose works covered an array of distinctively diverse insights and styles – aesthetic pieces. The presence of these five incredible artists; Olumide Onadipe, Chinedu Uzoma, Segun Akintoye, Donald Ekpo and Ade Odunfa himself brought out their different techniques, different passions and the reflection of those thought provoking moment in life.

The gift of artists is to help others engage their senses through artistic creations to fully experience the sensory and thrills that surround man. And, according to the artists during the preview each piece showcased creates a peculiar feeling of uniqueness, inspiration and reflection to the viewers. Through the works of a few rare artists, we not only gain knowledge of individuals but also of the broader cultural and social contexts in which they are inserted. But that is not all, looking at the way FACES and PHASES is presented, we can also have an insight into the artists themselves. Because of its focus on the human face and the different phases in a humans' life, this exhibition gives us the opportunity to look at the philosophical ground on which a large section of young Nigerian artists stand. More times than not, artworks tell more than what the artist actually wants to say. They reveal much about the subject, the artist and the social and cultural environment.

Little rascal by Donald Ekpo

Besides these, Adeodunfa started collecting works of other artists, including that of his teachers, as a student studying art. As an artist, his kind of art, perhaps, sometimes also influence his choice of collection. He explained how such personalising of art has become eclectic in his art over the years. “That’s why I’ve always had different styles over different periods in my life and different pallet to adorn my different surfaces. These are the element that gives breath to my art life.”

As audacious artists, whose penchant for paintings and carving bring out their different techniques, different passions and the reflection of those thought-provoking moments in life, speak with one voice – colour and brush. Some of the works were ‘Conversation I’ (36 inches), ‘Mama’s Love’ (28x36), ‘Family Ties’ (20x36)‘Virtuous Woman’ (18x28), ‘Outing for Two’ (48x48), ‘City in my Eyes’ (30x36), ‘Faces and Phases’(12x18), ‘Busy Hands’ (18x30), ‘the Gaze’ (36x48) and ‘Beautiful II’ (36x48) among others.

Odunfa, who has put into his career nearly 15 years of studio practice, had three years ago shown works of close to 20 artists in the exhibition titled Over a Decade Collection of Paintings and Sculptures. He continues the passion of sharing his collection “I have 400 art pieces of other artists in my collection,” Adeodunfa declared during the preview of the exhibition few days ago. And, this exhibition has evolved from solo to group and will grow bigger than this.

A cursory look at Adeodunfa’s ‘Beautiful II’ and ‘The Gaze’ will astound the art enthusiasts into the first thought of the work of camera. His facial make-up, as a side flavour to his works, could pass for bridal finishing and his turban and igele tying concludes him to be vast indeed.

No doubt, many have the vision; a few have got the passion while others have the hunch to get their quests done. Acclaimed as a talented prospect and sort after by art lovers, Uzoma’s drawings charcoal on paper works (Virtuous Woman and Family Ties) captivate one at a glance− looking nothing other than real. While Shiigo deals with abstract in nature, where he interprets in his own aesthetic way with African motifs, are very colourful; Onadipe’s works are very delightful and attention grasping with his painting of leaves to form different figures, faces and structures.

And to review the only sculptor among the exhibitors, whose works, Conversation I and II, provoke laughter at a first glance then a deep thought, Ekpo is noted for his anatomy sculptures. He works from a three-dimension perspective using fibre glass, other found objects and metals.

Meanwhile, artists like Samuel Ajobiewe, Ehiforia Henry, Morakinyo Seye, Akanbi Yusuf, Ogunnusi Dolapo, Bimpe Adebambo, Biodun Badmos, Bunmi Ayaoge,Idorenyin Ogaga Toudinye, Olumide Onadipe, Kehinde Oso, Umeh Bede,Segun Philips, Soji Yoloye, Tayo Olayode, Emeka Ajuwah, OsagieAimufia, Femi Oyewole, Abdurazaq Muhammad and Donald Ekpo weresome of those who exhibited at Adeodunfa's show Over A Decade Collection ofPaintings and Sculptures in 2011.

All these nimble artists were brought on one platform by Adeodunfa, whose name in full is Adekusibe Odunfa. Born in Lagos on May 19, 1973, he graduated with a degree in Fine Artwith a specialisation in painting at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria in 1998.

Adeodunfa is an accomplished painter known for his durbar themes; he is proficient in a variety of medium including oils, acrylics, watercolour, pastels and photography. He loves experimenting pigment on surfaces, plays with charcoal on canvas, oil on lace and oil on wood. His brilliantly executed canvases depict the female form, portraits, durbars and recently stylised forms.

“I had the interest to paint. So, I went to school. I love to experiment with materials and colours though I paint more,” he enthused.

This is not his first group art exhibition. From 1998 till date, he has participated in several exhibitions, which include three solos and 22 group shows or thereabouts in Nigeria and abroad. Adeodunfa's works include installation of carnival floats and effigies for the Lagos State Carnival Floats 2010 till date, The Calabar Carnival (Seagull band Float) 2012, The Eyo Festival Effigies from 2010 to 2011 and The National Sports Festival Opening Ceremony held in Lagos State in 2012.

With the dream of enlarging and growing his collection, Adeodunfa said he once had his gallery in Lagos called ‘Tents’. “I want to grow my collection and then promote younger artists.”

An indigene of Imala, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria, he has won numerous awards including: Mydrim Pastel Exhibition (2007), Guinness Art Award (2004), Xerox National Art Competition (2000) and Best Final Year Painting Student (1998).

Some of his art exhibitions include a 2007-Miniature Show at Terra Kulture VI, Lagos; 2008- Instinct, National Museum, Lagos; 2009- Art of Friendship,Abuja;2010- Colours & Carnival 1, Calabar; 2010- Lagos Black Heritage;2010- SICA, Cotonou; 2011- Colours & Carnival II, Calabar; 2012-Colours & carnival III, Calabar; 2012- Firebrand, Nimbus Art Center,Lagos;2014- The defining Moment, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

So, art connoisseur Nita-Nkese Ephraim, CEO of Makadel Design and Style School enthused Adeodunfa’s lace work as new, fresh and captivating; adding that the mixes the universal use of lace and African arts to give his paintings an unmistakable character.

In all, the artists created pieces that appeal to and nourishes the mind through their various styles like paintings, drawings and sculptures that are blended in for sheer visual delight, some art lover had said. So, you might want to agree with Daniel Birnbaum, who says, an art work is more than a commodity. It represents a vision of the world and if taken seriously must be seen as a way of “making a world”.

His Silver Lining

Rebecca Ejifoma

 

When it is argued that wisdom has nothing to do with size or age, young Olatunde Chidera Obafemi is a case in point. The 17-year old, student of English Language at Babcock University, Ilishan, Ogun State was the centre-stage attraction, last weekend, where his new literary effort, a 275-page book, Silver Palm Frond, was presented at a launch held at the Silver Bird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos.

 

Bold and daring, Olatunde stood before his audience and began to satisfy the curiosity of those who wanted to know how he took to writing when his contemporaries are mostly glued to the social media and video games. For starters, writing poetry was his forte. But his travels in recent years formed a source of inspiration that compelled him to consider another literary genre.

 

“Shortly before I turned 15, we started living in Accra, Ghana. Since my parents are missionaries, we travelled a lot – from Ghana to Lagos and vice versa on land and by air. These trips, to my teenage fantasies, were thrills of adventure and inspiration for creativity.”

 

That experience gave birth to Silver Palm Frond. He recalled that he encountered some “under-privileged children” and it finally dawned on him that he was privileged. Those children had to survive by running around travellers, begging for food and alms. To his surprise, travellers didn’t give heed to their pleas.

“It certainly wasn’t a new thing for them to beg, at least in that area, but I was stunned because they were children below the age of 10 and some as little as five. That wasn’t all, I had seen students returning from school, walking under the sun, perspiring,” he recounted.

 

For the author, it was heart-breaking. It was not the kind of life he was used to. He decided to write about it in the best possible way that it would convey the intended meaning and emotions; moving the readers to empathise with the characters. 

“Silver Palm Frond is interesting, thought-provoking and inspiring. The book is written in a simple everyday diction but rich in striking coinages and expressions that will hold the reader by the jugular right from the first page to the last page of the novel,” said the reviewer who is lecturer at the Department of English and Literature, Babcock University, Mr. Solomon Iguanre. He added that the plot moves from the family house to the school and back to the family house, where the narrator, in a bid to express some air of freedom while unwittingly exhibiting his family’s opulence, falls into the hands of the abductors.

 

The anxiety, the intrigues and the desperation that ensue form the content of the piece. Leaning on the subject matters of torture, anguish, desperation and loneliness, his succinct and imaginative description of the plight of the abducted young ones inevitably reminds the reader of the predicament of the Chibok girls which attracted global outcry.

 

The story ends with the abducted subject re-uniting with his family. Sadly, the lid of a can of worms opens, and he discovers, a little too late, that the woman he had grown to regard as his biological mother is an impostor, who is the brain behind his abduction.

 

Other issues addressed in the work include bullying among school children and siblings; parental favoritism as well as social consciousness. It also probes into the challenges of inter-tribal marriage, kidnapping, corruption and other myriads of seemingly intractable problems bedeviling this country. Other aspects deftly treated in this very engaging novel are the aspects of self-discovery, forgiveness and philanthropy.

 

“The descriptive prowess of this young writer, Olatunde, must have been informed by his early exposure to literature and his precocious artistic sensibility to the written words,” said the reviewer.

 

Olatunde, who wrote Diary of a Dormitory War, also launched his Silver Palm Frond Initiative to help educate the under-privileged in the society. He vowed to use the proceeds from the sales of his book to fund the foundation.

“It is built along with a belief system that there are no ‘less privileged’ children. They are privileged with endowments that can take them through God’s will while on earth,” he said.

 

His book leaves a food of thought: “You don’t have to own the whole world to save at least a life.”  The work is expected to be the silver lining for the clouds of the “down-trodden” whose lives preoccupy the plot.

Restoring Virtues

Rebecca Ejifoma

Ololade

In traditional African societies, Vagina it is generally regarded as a taboo word. But the struggle to demystify the V-word against the backdrop of contemporary understanding led the author of Vagina Homogeneity to adopt the word and the subject matter in her recent work which was launched last weekend in Lagos. That woman of uncommon courage is Ololade Ayanniyi.  

VH, as the book is called, was launched at Noveau Centre in Victoria Island, before a gathering of literary-minded individuals as well as those who share concern in issues of sexuality. The story in the work borrows its thematic preoccupation largely from the celebrated international scandal that involved the International Monetary Fund chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn whose presidential hopes were dashed by the incriminating sex scandal.
The novel x-rays the sexual misdemeanour that characterises the male-female relationships in recent time and serves a contemporary statement on human values and virtues.

The novelist holds the view that a man’s brain is wired in one direction − the sexual − but the woman is in different sensual way. Ololade believes that while women may wear see-through clothes, men have got see-through eyes with which they see women.
“When a woman enters a shop she will admire the shoes and the clothes but a man will admire a beautiful lady in the mall and say, ‘Wow! that lady is beautiful’!” he said.

The writer opted for the blunt, straight-forward approach in her delivery while her language is loaded with imageries.The 12-chapter satire is described as an easy-read. At the launch, Justice Ademola Bakre of Ogun State High Court remarked,“I was captivated when I read the book. This book stares you in the face in such a way that you would think deep.”
While lauding the efforts of the writer, Justice Bakre decried the decline in moral values for both gender divide and stressed the importance of having a balanced view of sexual harassment. For him, women are not usually the victims and some women are capable of being sexual predators as well.      

The Book

Generally, “VH” centres on the escapades of men, power, politics, religion, intrigues, consequences and the escape routes. It is called the master piece of on recovery mission, a must read for the culprit and the innocent, a phenomenal and a well-crafted satire of some sort.

Really, what runs through your mind when you stumble into this book title, “Vagina Homogeneity”? Such curiosity lures you into grabbing a copy for yourself and your spouse. Perhaps, you should try a copy of it, because those who have got for themselves have coughed and strained their eyes to see if it’s really the title. 

The 1989 graduate of the University of Lagos, Akoka in banking and finance is also the author of Market Place Creed. The Goldman Sachs scholar is very passionate about women empowerment and agriculture.

Ovrati and Friends Show at TerraKulture

One of the artists' works (White Rooftops 47 x 47 Inches)

Rebecca Ejifoma

New Order, a group exhibition of paintings featuring the recent works of four renowned artists, will open on Saturday September 20 at the Terra Kulture Art Gallery in Victoria Island Lagos.

Aimed to reinstate freedom, purity and quality in the result that shows in their art, the exhibition will exude 32 abstract paintings of oil on canvas of post-Auchi new realities. This simply consists of their abilities to combine science and colour, the colour masters said.

“We have all chosen at this point to show the path of agreement, the departure points and the journey so far,” says Sam Ovraiti during a press briefing held at Terra Kulture recently.

The artists including Olu Ajayi, Pita Ohiwerei, Tony Okujeni and Ovraiti, said they have come together to showcase the result of their experiences in the colour realm, as they enthuse that it is time for them to liberate and fuse in the art of art.

To explain their message even farther to art aficionados, some of the works to be displayed are “Cityscape” (36 x 46), “Colours of Aswani” (24 x 36), “Festival” (35 x 39), “Have Dominion, Not Over Women,” (40 x 72), “In His Image and Likeness” (41 x 48), “Dance Spirit” (60 x 40), “Chibok (Unending Story 41 x 26)” and “Simple Rest II” (35 x 51). Others are “Fruits of Life” 27.5 x 35 and “Team Work” 93 x 50 among others.

Ovraiti explains that the group show could witness some recurrent themes. The driving force for looking back, if they did, is to revisit a previous result from their current level of enlightenment and awareness. According to the colourists, “After all, artists draw from their inside, foresight and insight.”

Since this collection does not and cannot capture the totality of the wondering spirit of these artists, the show will run from September 20 to 30. “It will reveal a measure of truth proclaimed in the painters selected for this exhibition.”