Where art meets activism
By Josyn Uba
Saturday, September 30, 2006
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•Jelili
Atiku
Photo By Sun News Publishing |
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At the main exhibition hall of the just concluded CORA organized
arts festival held in Lagos, there, an art work measuring
was an intimidating height of about 5. 6ft stood screaming
at the visitors. Titled FREE THE PRESS, is an installation
work of a female journalist wearing newspapers as a garb,
standing in a cage with her hands and legs in shackles. It
was an impressive depiction of the gagged press.
That was Jelili Atiku’s only entry at this year’s
edition of the Lagos book fair and arts festival. For Atiku,
who holds a degree from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
and a Master’s degree from Unilag, art has not only
become a means to an end, but has also become a veritable
platform to address poignant issues
Mission in arts
The 1998 best graduating sculpture student of his school told
Saturday Sun that “my own brand of
arts is for humanities sake. Just like any other profession,
arts should be used to improve and impact positively on the
society. We can’t all be politicians or lawyers, but
I want to use arts as a vehicle to reach out and right the
wrongs in our society”
We can not all sit on the fence and watch helplessly our society
and especially our own generation go down the drain because
of injustice.
I may not be in the corridors of power, but I am determined
to see that change happen in my own time and I will effect
it using my creative ingenuity. It is like each one of us
putting up a candle in our small individual corners, and before
long, the entire place would turn bright. I should be able
to serve humanity with arts. Art is all about service.
How it all began
The fire of activism in the young artist was formally ignited
and his passion to campaign for the oppressed was immediately
launched during his NYSC days after his visit to the Ikot
Ekpene Prisons in 1998.
“This particular visit was an eye opener for me. I never
thought in my wildest imagination that human beings could
ever be treated that way.
As ridiculous as it sounded, it was simply unthinkable the
way prisoners were treated there. I was exposed to the harsh
realities in the Nigerian prisons”
And from then on, Jelili Atiku got involved in the struggle
and emancipation to help free the oppressed. He developed
a strong determination to campaign for prison reforms using
visual artistic works as his medium
Significant works
One of his significant attempts to censor the maladjustment
of the state of the prison, Jelili said resulted in one man
show titled SHADOW IN THE DARK, held in Lagos in 2004
In 2005, the activist/artiste mounted yet another arts display,
another arts installation work on the prison, titled E wawo.
Venue, this time was the Lagos state House of Assembly.
Atiku told Saturday Sun that his primary
mission here was to “fight the objectionable “Holden
charge” which permits the awaiting trial cells, due
to the Criminal Procedure Law of 1994, Chapter 31, Sec 256
The artist said he had made an appreciable impact as talks
had begun on ways to abrogating the law.
Atiku Jelili, is filled with a peculiar mission and an immeasurable
passion to leave a legacy. He is to be likened to “
A Daniel hath come for judgment” employing arts as his
courtroom. He has exhibited locally and held several workshops.
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