Rebecca
Ejifoma
 |
| Art pieces displayed on the walls at the Art Centre |
The Consulate
General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos, MichaelDerus, on Sunday,
commended Nigeria for her rich and vast cultural heritage during his visit to
the Nike Art Cultural Day held in Lekki-Lagos.
With the style
of performances put up by the cultural entertainers, Derus said that each time he visited the centre he learned
something new. "A lot of events take place here. It helps me discover more
about Nigeria and it's my pleasure to
be here."
According to the
Consulate General, who described Nigeria’s culture as rich, says it so because
of her various ethnic groups and traditions. “It represents something that Europeans are
striving at; to bring together a certain blend of cultural identity, which
nevertheless is not just a mixture, but a whole identity of different ethnic
groups in the country.” Adding, he said that it has had a large impact not only
in the country but the entire African
continent as a whole.
So, painted
with colours of Nigerian culture and history, the Nike Art Centre hosted a crowd of friends and
art enthusiasts from all over the world
at its Cultural Day held at its gallery at Lekki.
The cultural
day was spiced with indigenous lifestyles ranging from songs to dance and from
attire to the vast culture of people from all over the world with a majority of
the whites. These electrifying
performances were garnished with a group of
colourful Nigerian dancers coupled with the art pieces displayed in and out of the three storey-building.
They brought
back the jigs and twists of traditional music from Edo, Anambra, Oyo and of course, Eko. The centre
was filled with Europeans and Chinese more than Nigerians to observe and
appreciate the history and culture of the country. There wereproduction and
sales of adire, beads, kampala, royal hats and regalia. There were also displays of images and
art works that tell the tales of million years even without words.
The event had
a lot of entertainment and Tv personalities like the popularMoses and Nneka.
Interestingly,
Arts Desk Robin Hugh Campbell, Co-chairs, Nigerian Field Society, Lagos Branch, Robin Campbell expressed
her feelings towards the colourful faces and the native makeup the centre
applies. “We are the organizers of
the event. We are Nigerian Field Society, Lagos Branch, a membership organization.”
She said: “Our
mission is to explore the culture and environment of Nigeria and West Africa generally.”
Continuing,
she said that NFS has been in existence since 1930 and its mission is to help people explore their
countries. “A lot of our members are expatriates
and we are pleased to be able to help people understand their culture very well.”
She,
therefore, lauded the iconic Nike, whom she described as the dynamics context of the Nigerian
culture. “Through Nike, people can be exposed
to traditional art forms and contemporary arts to dance, music and also the variety of food in the
country. We do hold various programmes in the country
and we have explored some prominent places of arts in the country.
According to
the Gallery Manager, Lagos, Tunji Akinsehinwa, it is not unusual
for the centre to organise such a programme because it is more cultural centre than a gallery.
He said: “We
are always hosting events like music and dance among others.” No doubt, it is a centre that
focuses more on culture than artworks.
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