The visual arts scene is set to witness a big exhibition as respected and frontline artists mount their works at the ‘Best of Ife’ exhibition which opens this Sunday, December 3.
Respected names like Kunle Filani, Tola Wewe, Victor Ekpuk, Olojo-Kosoko, and more than 40 others who are all alumni of the Ife Art School are slated to showcase their works in the exhibition organised to mark the 30th anniversary of ‘Best of Ife’.
The exbition will hold at Fobally Art World Africa in Lagos, from Sunday and will run till December 9, 2023. It will be curated by Ayoola Mudasiru.
According to the organisers, more than 50 works are expected “because we have over 40 artists that have registered to participate in the exhibition. The works are over 50 because we are collecting at least two works from each artist considering the size,” adding that “each artist comes with his or her own diversified art work even with the concept.”
Themed “Beyond Onaism”, the anniversary exhibition will feature most of the generations of Ife Art School graduates including the recently graduated and the pioneers, all covering five decades of the Ife Art School.
Giving insight into the choice of theme, Professor of Visual Arts and Aesthetics, African American University, Porto Novo and Canada, and one of the initiators of ‘Best of Ife’ exhibition, Kunle Filani said the concept of ‘Onaism’ came into existence when the “Ona group of artists started their form and content experiments by reinventing indigenous motifs in their design consciousness. Ona commenced with so much energy that it soon became a movement that is not limited to only Ife art graduates, but widespread among Nigerian artists.”
The “Best of Ife ” series of exhibitions that began in 1993 according to him, was to serve as a constant reminder to the Ife art graduates that while ‘Onaism’ as an art concept should thrive, the art school should not be pigeonholed. Therefore, any artist who exemplified innovation and consistency was encouraged to follow such personal trends. The Best of Ife yearly exhibitions ran for many years anchored by remarkable individual and collective Ife art graduates.
The Ife Art graduates are now well-established among contemporary artists all over the world.
They have excelled in stylistic articulation and the use of new and iconic materials. The content of their works continues to promote socio-political ideologies and didactic intellectualization of indigenous concepts.”
Filani who was co-curator with Don Akatapo of the maiden edition of ‘Best of Ife’ IN 1993, added, “Fine and Applied Arts Department is one of the culture-oriented disciplines that nurture the intellectualization of people’s customs, norms, and beliefs. The Fine Arts Department became full-fledged in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree having hitherto produced a handful of students who graduated from the Faculty of Education.
It is therefore safe to say that the Art Department of the University of Ife; now Obafemi Awolowo University, has produced graduates spanning five decades.”
The Creative Director of Fobally Art World Africa, Folasade Abiola, who is enthused about the epic exhibition taking place in her gallery said, “We are super excited to host the exhibition. This is because Ife alumni are known for the great work that they’re doing within the arts industry. Fobally Art gallery is super excited to identify with6 Ife alumni. And looking at ‘Onaism’ and what they have been doing for the past 30 years, it’s remarkable.
“Globally, they have recognition, locally as a nation, they are recognized.
So, what we should look forward to is the great work of arts that you don’t see on the streets, you’ve not seen in galleries. So, people should be expecting something different, something unique when it comes to the arts. The collaboration is in line with our mandate as a promoter of Africa contemporary arts and the artists for global visibility.”
