By Kings Ndubuisi Onwe

Nigerian art has come a long way. A look at the heydays of Nigerian art will bring to mind names like Akinola Lasekan, Uche Okeke, Yusuf Grillo, Benedict Enwuonwu, and  of course, Bruce Onobrakpeya. 

From 1900, these aforementioned artists and more, charted the course as pioneers of modern Nigerian art. Beginning with Aina Onabolu, who was the ‘father of modern Nigerian Art’. Onabolu, a self-trained portrait painter, was the first Nigerian artist to be trained abroad. Returning in 1923, Onabolu made a lot of efforts to see to the inclusion of art in the educational curriculum of our schools. Even though, challenges were encountered, his doggedness led to the production and discovery of more artists, thereby ensuring the reawakening of many artistic potentials.

Making a recall of the beautiful years of the past in Nigerian art will no doubt garnish one’s brain with fond memories. It was during those period that Prof. Benedict Enwuonwu was discovered by Kenneth C. Murray, an expartriate teacher employed by the government, at Umuahia Government College. Enwuonwu was flown abroad on scholarship courtesy of Shell company, studying first at Goldsmith College., followed by Ashmolen, Oxford, and then later the famed Slade School of Art in London., all in Britain. After his academic sojourn abroad, Enwuonwu returned back to the country in 1948. Upon his return, he was appointed an Art Supervisor by the Federal Government, and later rose to the position of Art adviser. Benedict Enwuonwu is no doubt one of the best artists to ever come out from Africa nay Nigeria. He was the first internationally acclaimed artist, whose talent and skills put Nigeria on the art world map.

In 1951, an Art Club arising from the involvement of the students of Keffi Government College in painting and drawing of the ‘Flame of the Forest’ trees, was born. This was inspired by an expartriate teacher named Dennis Duerden who was posted to teach in the school. On several occasions, the man would sit under the luxurious mango shades to paint or draw the ‘burning’ trees which was punctuated in the background by the students’ grey round mud huts. He was later joined by the curious students, who were impressed by his ability. Even the wife of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Northern region of Nigeria, Mrs Sherwood Smith, joined them occasionally. This activity gave birth to the first regional art festival at Kaduna community centre, during which most of the students won prizes for their various paintings. An ‘Art school’ was born and the most favourite subject was the ‘Flame trees’. Equipment increased and students’ participation grew. Whenever the students felt the urge to paint or draw, they will retire into the art room. Some even painted in the night! They were doing real art. Their works which were exhibited in various places in Nigeria, United Kingdom and United States, drew a lot of good comments from art critics.

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One of the most memorable events that shaped the Modern Nigerian art history was the ‘Zaria revolution’. They were a group of artists popularly called the ‘Zaria rebels’, who pushed against the dominance of white staff in the department of Fine Art in the then Nigerian College of Art, Science and Technology (Now Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria). These artists which include names like the late Simon Okeke, Solomon Wangboje, Grillo, Jimoh Buraimoh, Nwagbara and some others were also against the curriculum which was Western in outlook and practice. Their efforts led to, among other things, the infusion of Nigerian traditional motifs and designs in their works, thereby developing Nigerian and African identity. Nigerian art during these past years were worthy of mention and also enjoyed good amount of awareness and patronages., thanks to efforts of the pioneer artists, whom today, are acclaimed masters. Most of them exhibited abroad, and their works are in both private and public collections within and outside Nigeria.

Regrettably, the reverse is the case today, as there are not many art practitioners and scholars. Artists are among the least represented professionals in our society today. This is also reflected in the educational sector where the ratio of art students in comparison to other students is roughly 5:20. This shows that there is a sharp decline in the number of art scholars. Ironically, some people with art potentials don’t want to study the discipline formally.

• Onwe writes from Enugu

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