- Title: Long-lost Nigerian "Mona Lisa" exhibited back home
- Date: 5th November 2018
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (NOVEMBER 3, 2018) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF LATE BEN ENWONWU'S PAINTING 'TUTU' ON DISPLAY CAPTION ON WALL READING: 'BEN ENWONWU'S TUTU (1974)' INSTALLATION BY BRITISH-NIGERIAN ARTIST YINKA SHONIBARE SIGN READING: 'ART X' ARTWORK BY SHONIBARE VARIOUS OF SCULPTURES BY GERALD CHUKWUMA (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER, ART X LAGOS, TOKINI PETERSIDE, SAYING: "The last time Ben Enwonwu's iconic painting of the princess from Ile-Ife Tutu was seen in Nigeria was 1975. He made that painting in 1974 and a year after, its whereabouts have been unknown. As we all know, Tutu is referred to as the African Mona Lisa by virtue of this disappearance and re-emergence, and it is the first work of the modern Nigerian artist to sell for over a million pounds." TIME-LAPSE OF PEOPLE WALKING VARIOUS OF RECYCLED METAL SCULPTURES BY DOTUN POPOOLA TAG READING: 'ARTIST NAME: DOTUN POPOOLA, TITLE: THE HEIGHT OF A CLASSICAL MUSIC' (SOUNDBITE) (English) ART LOVER, ADETOYE AGEKE, SAYING: "I think we still have more to do, it is never going to be enough. We have to tell our own stories and it starts with us, it starts with our culture and I believe in those two as the drivers of our continent." VARIOUS SCULPTURES BY KENYAN ARTIST CYRUS KABIRU (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCULPTOR, CYRUS KABIRU, SAYING: "We need to have like ten Art Xs in Africa so that artists can get known. You know, like being here, invited by Art X, it has given me a chance of meeting my fans, especially like in Lagos, I think I have big huge followers from Lagos and me being here meeting them, talking to them, interacting with them, it is a big deal to me." VARIOUS OF YINKA SHONIBARE'S ARTWORK AND ATTENDEES VIEWING THEM (SOUNDBITE) (English) FOUNDER, ART X LAGOS, TOKINI PETERSIDE, SAYING: "I dreamt of creating something that would touch people, that would move people, that would open people's minds to this idea of African excellence, an African excellence on African terms, open people's minds as well to the idea of pan-African collaboration, to the spirit of celebrating ourselves before looking to the rest of the world to celebrate us. I wanted to create a platform that places artists on a pedestal that would see them be acknowledged for the genius that they are." VARIOUS PIECES BY CONTEMPORARY ARTIST MUYIWA AKINWOLERE
- Embargoed: 19th November 2018 15:01
- Keywords: Art X exhibition in Lagos contemporary African art local talent African artists showcase work Tutu Ben Enwuonwu Tokini Peterside
- Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- City: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Art,Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA001958AZX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A Nigerian "Mona Lisa" - lost for more than 40 years and found in a London flat in February - is being exhibited in the West African country for the first time since its disappearance.
"Tutu" is the work of Nigeria's best-known modern artist, the late Ben Enwonwu.
The portrait of Adetutu Ademiluyi, who was a grand-daughter of a revered traditional ruler from the Yoruba ethnic group, holds special significance in Nigeria as a symbol of national reconciliation after the 1967-1970 Biafran War.
"The last time Ben Enwonwu's iconic painting of the princess from Ile-Ife Tutu was seen in Nigeria was 1975. He made that painting in 1974 and a year after, its whereabouts have been unknown. As we all know, Tutu is referred to as the African Mona Lisa by virtue of this disappearance and re-emergence, and it is the first work of the modern Nigerian artist to sell for over a million pounds," said Tokini Peterside, the art fair's founder.
"Tutu" is one of several pieces exhibited at Art X Lagos. It's one of the annual gatherings for contemporary African artists based on the continent and in the diaspora, as well as collectors, critics, and other enthusiasts.
The attendance numbers and profile of artists participating has grown since the inaugural event in 2016.
"I think we still have more to do, it is never going to be enough. We have to tell our own stories and it starts with us, it starts with our culture and I believe in those two as the drivers of our continent," said Adetoye Ageke, a Lagos-based software engineer whose love for art drew him to the event.
It's rare for African art lovers to see pieces by well-known contemporary artists like British-Nigerian Yinka Shonibare, Nigerian scrap-metal sculptor Dotun Popoola, and Kenyan sculptor Cyrus Kabiru exhibited simultaneously.
"I dreamt of creating something that would touch people, that would move people, that would open people's minds to this idea of African excellence, an African excellence on African terms, open people's minds as well to the idea of pan-African collaboration, to the spirit of celebrating ourselves before looking to the rest of the world to celebrate us. I wanted to create a platform that place artists on a pedestal, that would see them be acknowledged for the genius that they are," Peterside said.
Organisers said they have hosted around 15,000 visitors at Art X Lagos over the last two years, including officials from acclaimed institutions like the Tate Modern, Zeitz MOCAA, and the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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