Gloria Ikegbule
For Albert Ohams, “art is a wonderful profession.” He has profited immensely from it by way of “material possessions, travel opportunities and in quality relationships.”
Though versatile across genres, the artist’s stock-in-trade is cartoon, of which he is renowned for the Citizen Joe comic sketch.
Beginning his professional journey at age 16, Ohams has etched on the pages of many publications including Ikebe Super, Vanguard, Newswatch, and Champion. Since 2003, he has been at it, sketching and daubing for The Sun where he is the cartoon editor.
Before you raise any objection to John Updike’s assertion that “all cartoonists are geniuses,” try and encounter this artist––in person, Ohams bursts with an inimical sense of humour; his sketches are pithy and punchy; his brush a magic wand that earns him garlands at prestigious awards, such as the Nigeria Media Merit Awards, NMMA.
The artist is aware his profession is not endearing to most parents. He says: “The problem why some parents discourage their children from choosing Art as a profession is because Art has not been taken so seriously in Nigeria or in Africa. I have travelled widely and have seen that art is a big business but that is not how it is seen here.”
Noting that an artist’s popularity is not commensurate with his earning in this part of the world where art is not much appreciated, Ohams insists being an artist is lucrative.
“You can’t be out of job if you are an artist except you want to be. Most of my classmates and I trained ourselves through school from doing art. We were doing portraits, cartoons, designs and cards to survive,” he muses.
He applauds the role of organisers of exhibitions and auctions, gallery owners and buyers of art pieces. “Government has not encouraged artists in Nigeria,” he observes, urging the country leadership to emulate their counterparts around the world who promote art and artists.
“They should organise exhibitions and give loans to artists just like they do to other professions––loans will help an artist to improve on his works and to get a studio,” he notes.
Ohams’ sons are chips off the old block––they have the artistic skills of drawing. Ironically, the award-winning artist who had his first solo exhibition Cultural Glimpses in 1995 at the Nigerian Embassy in Israel and has since exhibited in several other places, has none of his son walking in his footsteps.
His first son is on his way to becoming a medical doctor at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, while the second is taking a degree in Criminology and Security Studies at the Federal University in Ebonyi State.
The Yabatech alumnus, nonetheless, is joyful over his sons’ achievement. Not an ounce of disappointment in him at his son’s refusal to emulate their father professionally. Just as his father long ago gave him his blessing to become an artist, Ohams similarly encourages his children to be the best in their chosen profession.