Works by the two artists exhibited at Galerie african-painters.com, Berlin (Germany). This is the gallery’s blurb in German, followed by my quick translation:
In unseren letzten Ausstellungen standen Polaritäten im Mittelpunkt. Heute freuen wir uns über erstaunliche Ähnlichkeiten. Der eine ist Autodidakt, der andere hat sein Diplom an der Hochschule für Kunst und Design in Auchi erworben. Der eine lebt in Accra in Ghana, der andere in Lagos, Nigeria. Das sind gerade mal knapp 400 km Luftlinie.
Vielleicht ähneln sich ihre Arbeit gerade deshalb. Mit Spachteltechniken lassen sie westafrikanische Alltagsszenen erstehen, zum Teil höchst filigran, zum Teil erst mit einigem Abstand erkennbar.
In dieser Ausstellung zeigen wir einen Ausschnitt der "Roof-Top-Series" von Tony Okujeni und Szenen über den alltäglichen Kampf um Überleben von Alfred Mensa.
Tony Okujeni schaut von den Dächern hinunter auf das wimmelnde Marktgeschehen. Er spielt mit den Farben, um mit großem Geschick unterschiedliche Stimmungen zu unterschiedlichen Tageszeiten einzufangen.
Alfred Mensa befasst sich mit den Menschen und Plätzen, die er seit frühester Jugend genau kennt: die Arbeit der Fischer an Accras Stränden, die Straßen mit ihren fliegenden Händlern und die traditionellen Feste der Ghanaer.
Our last exhibition focused on polarities. Today we are appreciating surprising similarities. One of the artist is self-taught, the other received his diploma in Art and Design from the Auchi Polytechnic. One of them lives in Ghana, the other in Lagos, Nigeria. That is only about 400 km apart.
Maybe that is why there works share many similarities. Using their palette knifes they create scenes from West African daily life, some of them very delicately done, others only recognizable from a distance.
In this exhibition we showcase a selection of works from Tony Okujeni’s ‘Roof Top Series’ and scenes depicting the daily struggle for survival by Alfred Mensa. Playfully he employs colours to capture the atmospheres at different times of the day.
Alfred Mensa is concerned with people and places he already knows since his earliest youth: the work of fishermen at Accra’s beaches, the roads inhabited by hawkers and Ghana’s traditional celebrations.
Not in all instances comfortable with their choice of words and actually not thinking that the two artists’ works, as they are illustrated in the catalogue, have much in common apart from, yes, all illustrating life in West Africa, all being executed by African artists … Anyway, here the link to the exhibition’s website again and here you can download the exhibition catalogue (in German though).
Also, a new exhibition Identity: An Imagined Stateat the Centre of Contemporary Arts in Lagos opens 31 October 2009 and will
‘bring together for the first time works by twelve established and emerging artists of different cultural, geographic and social backgrounds from Nigeria, Africa, and South America. Their works consider from both local and global perspective, the issues around identity in relation to Africa. As a point of departure, the exhibition explores associations with the label ‘African’ and has been contextualized in a manner that reflects on, but without answering, ‘what or who is an African.’ By exploring these themes the exhibition tells the story of belonging, displacement, uncertainty, visibility and negotiation through the medium of video art.’
Participating artists include Jude Anogwih (Nig), Lucy Azubuike (Nig), Uchay Joel Chima (Nig), Luc Fosther Diop (CAM), Bouchra Khalili( MOR/FR), Vanessa Padilla (ECU), Thando Mama (SA), Grace Ndiritu (KEN/UK), Emeka Ogboh(NIG), Berni Searle (SA), Aicha Thiam (SEN) and Kemang Wa Lehulere (SA).
I got to confess that I have only been to the Arewa House museum once, years ago … and honestly, all I remember is that that air condition was working extremely well and, having just come in from a hot August day, I was freezing … and in fact, two days (literally two days, not your Hausa kwana biyu) later I came down with a badass cold. But certainly, this is a worthwhile reminder to go next time I come to Nigeria … which, considering the current unrest in particularly in the places I’d like to go again and where have my friends (anybody getting through to Maiduguri? - feels like the network is completely down!) I don’t really know when that will be. Not that I want to go into any politics here … apart from this article by Salisu Suleiman in Next I haven’t yet come across any piece seriously analysing the reasons behind the recent violence, so would be grateful for any advice on that matter. I’m always a bit reluctant when it comes to these instants and condensed opinions that are expressed in the news articles reporting the events. Curiously enough, there are already Wikipedia articles on Boko Haram, which I think is a little bit dubious considering the freshness of events and what I perceive as a lack of unbiased information in the news. (also, cf. Al-Jazeera’s profile of the group here and Reuter’s attempt here but after all these are not claiming lay encyclopaedic status) Sure, that might be a bit prejudiced but … well, I guess that’s the academic background which encourages you to always consider and reconsider every of a multitude of opinions on a subject and most importantly explain your sources and research methods – all these opinions that the northern Nigerian public consider Boko Haram this or that, how many people have you spoken to?, whom have you spoken to? If you know what I mean: … Personally, I’m still trying to piece together an idea of, beyond the surface of violent battles and labels such as ‘Islamists’ vs. ‘Western education,’ ‘Western educated elites’ etc, from various news sources and … not that am considering myself particularly successful. Well, if I come across any more analytical piece I will let you know. But back to the primary topic of this blog, arts in the northern region, and this entry, Arewa House in Kano … or rather Akintayo Abodunrin’s article about the museum in Next Magazin:
The Museum of the Centre for Historical Documentation and Research, better known as Arewa (Northern) House (Gidan Arewa), is perhaps the only museum in Nigeria situated within the residence of a former politician. The Arewa House is located at No. 1, Rabah Road, Kaduna State.
Arewa House was home to the late premier of Northern Nigeria, Ahmadu Bello.
The museum is part of the facilities including an archive, library, and conference hall at the Arewa House, established in 1970 when a committee was tasked to write a book on the history of Northern Nigeria.
The first director of the Centre, the late Abdullahi Smith, a professor and founding member of the Department of History, AhmaduBelloUniversity, Zaria, is credited for the status of the Arewa House, as a foremost centre for research, and for documenting the history and culture of the people of Northern Nigeria.
I had not planned to visit the museum but because I was turned back at the Kaduna Museum due to an ongoing strike by the Radio, Television, Theatre and Allied Workers Union which the museum staff belong to, I decided on the Arewa House on the advice of a friend who gave me the contact of Emmanuel Abu, the resident artist.
Abu, an academic staff of the university, who has been running Gidan Arewa since 1975, turned out to be a helpful and willing tour guide. "[Ahmadu Bello] actually met his end here in Arewa House, in this compound. The historical aspect of this place is something we have been keeping over the years; we are trying to put back some of his personal effects in his house. The house is right here in the compound.
We have few of his personal belongings in the open gallery of the museum. Our archival collection is very big. We have all the publications in Nigeria since the beginning of time in our archive," Abu says enthusiastically as we commence the tour.
The galleries
The location of the museum is not its only unique feature. It is the only Nigerian museum containing relics from a defined region. It comprises a central hall dedicated solely to the late Sardauna; and 12 adjoining galleries containing objects reflecting the civilisation and culture of each of the 19 northern states.
The central gallery contains the memorabilia of Bello, who was premier of the Northern Region from 1954 until his assassination in the 1966 coup. A platform on which some personal effects of the late politician are arranged, is the first thing one sees on entering the central gallery.
There are two velvet chairs, which the Sardauna had earlier given as presents but which were subsequently donated to the museum. There are also rugs, babarigas (flowing male attire worn in the North), caps and portraits; a battery operated wireless radio, which Bello used in his office and a mat.
Behind the platform is a case containing items including wristwatches, drivers' licence, religious articles Bello wrote and which he used for prayers and a ceremonial key presented to the statesman by the Housing Corporation on the occasion of his opening of the Central Bank of Nigeria branch in Kano, on January 13, 1963.
Abu leads the way into the smaller galleries. "The museum complex is part of Arewa House and the house has been in existence since the 50s. The museum was incorporated around 1994," he says as we enter the gallery shared by Jigawa and BenueStates. Artefacts and crafts from the two states share a gallery because of space constraints.
The Katsina State gallery has, among others, photographs of all the governors who have ruled the state; dresses, drums, farming implements, a Quran, attesting to the premium Katsina people place on Islamic religion, beautifully decorated horse saddles and a painting of Bawo Bayajidda, killing the snake that prevented people from drawing water at the well in Daura.
A painting of a peacock depicting the symbol of Kwara people, drums, soup pots and hunting traps are displayed in the gallery of Kwara and YobeStates. Also on display is Usman Dan Fodiyo's family tree, listing the descendants of the jihadist and the periods they ruled the caliphate. An image of the late Sardauna who hailed from Sokoto and other items are in the SokotoState gallery.
Probably because of its status as host of the Arewa House, KadunaState has a gallery to itself. The first set of beds used in the North number among the interesting objects here.
Bello's office and residence
"That's the office of Sir Ahmadu Bello. He constructed it though he never used it before he met his death," Abu says as he leads the way to the entrance of the ‘Marble Office', another important historical site within the premises of Arewa House.
"This was the house of the Sardauna himself," Abu says, pointing to a one-storey building with a lush garden where the premier relaxed in the evenings. We can't enter the building because it is locked; Abu says it has just two bedrooms on the top floor while the ground floor is taken up by the sitting rooms where the Sardauna received his guests. Another locked door leads to a passage that connects the building to the quarters of the Sardauna's wives at the back.
"When the coup plotters came on January 15, 1966, they came in from the rear and started shooting. They were unable to find him [Bello] immediately until they shelled the top part of this structure which was renovated by the SokotoState government. He went to meet his wives at the back.
After leaving his wives, the Sardauna came out from the door at the back; he met with (Major Kaduna) Nzeogwu and his boys before he was shot," Abu says at a spot outside the wives' quarters. "The first wife died with him here." He points to a portion of the grass that has been cemented over.
Although it has been able to record some success in its quest, the Arewa House is not relenting. "The project originally kicked off here as proper historical documentation (centre) in 1970, up till date, we are updating. We are sourcing files from offices that have something to do with the Sardauna himself," says Abu as he bids me bye at the gate of the Gidan Arewa.
I’ve been trying to focus on my chapters the last few weeks, with moderate success: I’m just a bit too easily distracted by recent news and, you guessed it, the power of google to harvest little gems on the net. Two of the latter, I thought I quickly share the two of the latter’s results with you:
If you didn’t know the UCTV website yet, check it out! There you will find YouTube videos and podcasts of many a public lecture given at the University of California as well as some of the channels regular programmes such as Conversations with History. Well, as I’m particularly interested in everything African arts I thought I point you towards the video of a conference at the university in 2007: Interrogating African Modernity: Art, Cultural Politics, and Global Identities convened by the university’s Dr. Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie. Find the conference programme here.
Since my last visit to the site some time in January another video (panel 5) has been uploaded and I thought I take that as an occasion to point you toward the whole collection of audio and video podcasts. Personally, I found the papers presented quite interesting and inspiring so I can only recommend the conference’s podcast collection.
[I was trying to upload the video but as this does not seem to be working find it on the UCTV website y here, UCTV also has a YouTube channel so you can find the video here as well. Click through to the podcasts of the other panels.]
The other gem … well, to be honest knowing about this one is not my own accomplishment at all, I’m just on a mailing list by the National Museum of African Art. And, today this came around: A review of the Perspectives: Women, Art and Islam exhibition currently held at the Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts (MoCADA) by Mohamed Hassim Keita.
Perspectives: Women, Art and Islam at the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) lives up to its title, aptly providing deep insight into five disparate lives shaped by Islam, the West, and everything in between. With roots in Bangladesh, Algeria, Pakistan, Morocco, and New York City, the artists utilize family photographs, spiritual poetry, Quranic verses, and personal accessories to shed insight into the personal conflicts of Muslim women who face religious pressures to fulfill social expectations at the expense of personal aspirations.
Terrorism and the treatment of women have largely defined Islam in public discourse in recent years. In response, Perspectives challenges the notion of Islam as a monolithic, misogynist, unimaginative and atavist faith. This is no small task, yet it is achieved with a remarkable fusion—from modern photography, painting, installation and video to traditional Islamic crafts like tilework, ceramics and calligraphy.
The advantage of flying to Lagos was that, despite a delay of about an hour, I arrived in good time to check out the exhibition at Terra Kulture still the first day. Practically, the exhibition venue was only 2 minutes drive from the apartment and Zico’s driver, who knew the place, dropped me there and picked me up again an hour later. Terra Kulture, by the way, seems to be a really lovely venue. On the ground floor there is a restaurant and on the second floor a quite big exhibition space. The exhibition was entitled ‘Celebrating the Traditional Crafts of Northern Nigeria’ and showcased works produced during but also independently of the British Council/Prince’s School of Traditional Arts Workshop. They were beautifully showcased and, good news for the participants, a good number had already been sold. Unfortunately I had missed the opening of the exhibition for which all the workshops’ participants as well as Fossua and David, the course facilitators, had come down to Lagos. By the time I arrived most of them had already travelled back. Only Sadiq had stayed behind to attend to the exhibition and its visitors as well as represent CADDAK, the craft organisation formed by the course members. Sadiq suggested that the feedback for the exhibition was very positive, something a member of the gallery staff confirmed. In fact, many visitors – Nigerian as well as expat – were surprised that Northern Nigeria had such beautiful art and craft traditions. This probably harks back to the general assumption expressed to me by many people that the north does, supposedly, not have any viable art traditions – and by implication meaningful contemporary arts. In fact, however, this exhibition and the works presented seem to have allowed CADDAK to make contacts with the local Chamber of Commerce who offered to assist them financially to attend and present their works at trade fairs.