Curator urges Nigerians to invest in Art collection

Tunde Odunlade, the Chief Executive Officer and Curator, Tunde Odunlade Art and Culture Connexions, Ibadan, Oyo State, has urged Nigerians to invest in Arts collection in view of its revenue yield benefits.

Odunlade gave the advice on Thursday at an Art Exhibition tagged: “Ewa-Beauty” and “The Art We Wear” (a photo exhibition and documentary by an Artist, Aderemi Davies).

The programme was organised by Odunlade Art and Culture Connexion, Ibadan, in collaboration with African Treasures Arts Gallery, Owerri.

Odunlade said that art appreciated more in the world market than in the stock exchange.

“Mona Lisa is a good example; you can’t even get it for any price now and it was nothing ab nitio.

“The likes of Ben Eneonwu; Yusuf Grillo; Bruce Onobrakpeya; Lamidi Fakeye; Muraina Oyelami; Jimoh Buraimoh, among their works may not worth nothing some 30, 40, 50 years ago, but those who collected their works then, are now thanking their stars.

“This is because they worth a lot more anyhere and grow in value year-in year-out; there is no investment as worth

as Art, especially if you know your onions, it pays greater than anything else in the long run,” he said.

According to him, art exhibition is a tradition in the art world, an avenue to give artists opportunities to showcase their works of art.

He said: “It is also a way for artists to interact and meet face to face with their potential clients.

“One of the benefits is that economic emancipation is given a facelift and our history is preserved via art.

“Moreso, members of the public should see art as an integral part of their cultural heritage, an investment beyond stock exchange and landed property. Art appreciates over time,” he said.

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Odunlade said the show was organised as part of the activities to celebrate the two years anniversary of the gallery.

Also, Samson Ekwubiri, the Creative Director/Curator, African Treasures Arts Gallery, said the event was organised to showcase our rich cultural values and heritage as a country.

This, Ekwubiri said, was being done using art as a means of preserving those values and traditions.

He said that the exhibition would accord the society the opportunity to appreciate the cultural values and traditions, some of which, according to him, were gradually eroding in the minds of the present generation.

“One of the major constraints of Artists is funding and publicity,” he said.

Ekwubiri urged the government and various stakeholders to encourage artists by making funds available to them to carry out projects like staging an exhibition in and outside the country.

He also recommended that banks should be mandated to grant interest free loans to the artists.

“Stakeholders can also sponsor exhibitions, government should patronise artists by patronising their art works to furnish the government buildings.

“Art works, if properly packaged can generate foreign exchange for the country,” he said.

In her contributions, Mrs Oriyomi Otuka, the Curator, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, called on individuals to join hands with the museum to protect and preserve our cultural artefacts.

“We want our generations yet unborn to take a look at the works of their forefathers,” Otuka said.

The event featured 12 major Nigerian Artists in various Artistic media: Beaded Batik Quit Tapestry, sculpture, marble oil painting, Oil on Canvas, Pointillism, Yarn Tapestry and Soil painting.

Commenting, Aderemi Davies, also an Artist, said, “the ‘Art We Wear’ is a robust body work that celebrates the beauty of African culture and depth of its traditional systems.”

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Davies added that this was done by showcasing the aesthetics and meanings in three fashion expressions of the Yorubas: the Gele (head gear), Agbada (three pieces of man’s clothing) and indigenous hairstyles.

He said: “Yorubas are one of the most vibrant and widely spread races, who in spite of constant interaction with other cultures, always hold their traditions and culture dearly.

“The Yoruba culture and heritage is one of the richest in the world; our people and tradition are widely spread throughout the globe.

“However, if concerted effort is not made to preserve, promote and consolidate our culture, there is risk of relegation, corruption and eventual extinction due to an increasing exposure to foreign cultures.”