Best of Ife group exhibition holds December 3

A group exhibition tagged: “Best of Ife @30,” will hold from December 3 to 9, 2023 at Fobally Artworld Africa, along Amaechi Onuoha Crescent Ikate Lekki Phase 1, Lekki Lagos.

It is being organized by the alumni of the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU)  Ile- Ife, Osun State, and ”It is contextualized on what Ona is, and the exploits of artists in different parts of the world, who graduated from the 50 year old fine and applied art department of the university.

The exhibition deconstructs forms associated with the admixture of Western European and African culture with the colonial artistic tendencies, and elevates the contemporary recreation and reinvention of forms and philosophies of the traditional Yoruba Art.

At a press briefing in Lagos, a US-based art scholar, Prof. Moyo Okediji, who spoke virtually expressed excitement for being part of what was going on with the best of Ife group exhibition

Prof. Okediji said: “I must really congratulate the organizers for putting the show together because now is the time for us to take control of our own art instead of waiting for the outsiders to help us find ways of promoting ourselves.”

Okediji, who is one of the progenitors of Ona movement, noted: “There used to be a time when only foreigners did this kind of thing and it’s really gratifying that we are calling the shots. However, the contribution of Ife school to creativity in Nigeria has not been fully evaluated. And from the early 90s until now, the products of Ife Art School have tremendously changed the styles of creativity in Nigeria.

He added: “Ife at the time it came followed Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) as University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, and when that came, it didn’t seem to have any coherent philosophy but as time went on, we were able to come up with a credible idea concerning the concept of Ona and since then, it has become a very important philosophical Idea that is pushing not just Ife art actually, but also the art space in Nigeria”.

Kunle Filani, a Professor of Visual Arts  And Aesthetics, African-American University, Port Novo and one of the five progenitors of the concept of Onaism’, gave  historical background on the department of fine and applied arts  of the former University of Ife noting that the department started with some students who were in the faculty of education.

He noted that by 1972 Moyo Ogundipe started art and was the only one who graduated in 1972.

“We had others who graduated in 1974. In 1975, the department was consolidated and became a full-fledged department offering Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Fine and Applied Arts.

“And from 1972 to date, we are talking about 50 years traversing to 5 decades of having graduates who read Art at the university. So, we feel it is a significant period to celebrate”, he further said.

Filani disclosed that the philosophy behind the university was entrenched within its motto “For learning And Culture,” adding that it was not for fun that the alumni of the university were generally hailed as “Great Ife”.

He attributed it to essentially a thorough academic orientation that students derived when they were in the school which has placed it top because the training has to do with learning and culture expanded beyond acquisition of skills.

He noted that emphasis was placed on culture because students wanted to reinvent culture without isolating themselves outside indigenous culture so that there would be continuity and change.

 “The teaching and orientation eventually led a group of 5: Moyo Okediji and myself, Tola Wewe, Bolaji Campbell and Tunde Nasiru to start tinkering with the idea of Ona translated in English as designs, patterns and colors, which means that we have eyes for aesthetics.

“The concept and philosophy of Ona was beyond the practice of art and it was properly enunciated, and quite soon after we commenced, it became a movement beyond the graduates of Ife and was accepted as part of what we could be proud of in contemporary Nigeria art and beyond”, he stated.

He said that Best of Ife as a group exhibition, started in 1993 whereas ‘Onaism’ has started around the middle and late 80s, pointing out that the idea behind it was a reflection of the title of the exhibition “Beyond Onaism.’ 

“We realized  that as a school, we cannot be pigeonholed in a particular concept. Students should be free to imbibe, and when they graduate should be able to express. So we felt that while promoting the concept of Onaism’, we should also encourage those who bring in innovative ideas and new development and promote them so that we can have diversity which is what we have achieved,” he stated.

He listed the likes of Victor Ekpu, Wole Lagunju and many others who were discovered among the early starters adding that ‘Best of Ife’  at  some point  was the longest group exhibition that they’ve had because “we were exhibiting yearly to encourage students from the university to come up with works and exhibit with us, and it became a big show. Beside what this did was to popularize the concept of Ona and elevate the situation where each person has his approach to looking at his work and imbibing what he could do, and innovating what he could present.

“Victor Ekpu was doing Insibidi within the concept of  Onaism’ while  Araism by Mufu Onifade is also a take off from the concept of Ona which they developed along the line, and many people followed them. I’m glad that many Ife graduates took the movement as a challenge. People like Tunde Ogunlaiye, Mufu Onifade e.t.c who exhibited  more than  5 times at inception  took charge of the exhibition while Donatus Akatakpo  and I had the first one which attracted works from artists in Diaspora,” Filani stated.

On the way forward he said. “I think we should take stocks of the various creative trends that graduates of the school had explored. It is important for us to note that since we are reinventing culture, we have to be familiar with the diversities of materials within the Nigerian and African art.

“Apart from the stylistic diversity, material is also crucial and I am happy that many of the Ife graduates explored like Moyo Okediji who started using soil many years back, even when he was a student in the 70s. A lot of his students followed thereafter, and today one could  see the metal work of Dotun Popoola who has made it very iconic and it is all over the world. The strength of Ife school lies  on the exploration of materials to artistic benefits and  by the time these works are displayed  at  Fobally Artworld Africa we would see the diversities of those artworks we are talking about, ” he said.

South Africa based Nigerian Professor of Fine Arts, Rhodes University Steve Folaranmi noted that the Best of Ife group exhibition offered an avenue for members of the alumni to speak with one voice on any issue within the country using the art.

Folaranmi who also spoke virtually said that the foremost thing about the exhibition was that for many years it did not hold because of the plethora of issues with the country, adding that “But the mere fact that we’re coming back again shows that we have realized that we are missing in action and needed to do something about it. “This calls for celebration and irrespective of what happens, I’ll  participate in this edition of the exhibition,” he enthused.

The curator Best of Ife’ @ 30 exhibition Ayoola Mudashiru revealed that Fobally Artworld Africa will be home to over 50 pieces of artworks displayed  by over 35 registered participating artists of diverse styles, approach and philosophies.

The curator who finished from the former University of Ife in 1992  said that an exhibiting artist was expected to showcase one work if it was of a larger size adding that most of the generations of the best of Ife would be represented in this exhibition including those who graduated recently and their masters. “All the 5 decades of the Ife art school are going to entertain with their works. We are having works of Profs. Kunle Filani,  Moyo Okediji and Stephen Folaranmi. Tola Wewe  and other generations from 1972-2023 of the Ife Art school.”

He stressed that beyond the theme of the exhibition, Ona movement has been able to give birth to other types of styles eventhough It was not what was being taught in Ife rather most people loved  it and it fell in line with the Idea of coming up with concepts that were different and unique.

On gender balance of the exhibition, Mudashiru said. “The exhibition is an open call for all gender both male and female artists of Ife Art School. I am aware that the issue of gender balance tilt more in favour of male artists population especially from the fine and applied art department of the university. Nonetheless we still have a handful of strong female artists that are coming on board to exhibit their works.”

Founder and Creative Director Fobally Artworld Africa, Folasade Abiola, expressed joy of hosting  works of the masters and new graduates of Ife Art School in her gallery .

She said: “We are super excited to host the Best of Ife @ 30. For us the younger graduates and the older ones of the university are known for their great works in the art industry and they have made landmark statements within the industry. So, we at Fobally Artworld Africa are extremely proud to be associated with this epochal event”.

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