NIGERIA: Nigerian artist Funmi Alasholuyi showcases her works in a four-day exhibition showing a selection of cartoon characters and paintings with the aim to provide cheap art for the masses

Record ID: 236219

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerian artist Funmi Alasholuyi showcases her works in a four-day exhibition showing a selection of cartoon characters and paintings with the aim to provide cheap art for the masses
  • Date: 22nd October 2013
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FUNMI ALASHOLUYI IN HER STUDIO PAINTING ALASHOLUYI ART WORK PAINTING MATERIALS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FUNMI ALASHOLUYI, NIGERIAN ARTIST SAYING: "I want my art work to be in everybody's home and if I want it to be in everybody's home then it has to be affordable. I want people to appreciate it you know, a lot of people when they see my paintings and my work, they are like ah, if you were in England, in America, you'll sell a lot of this. I don't like to hear that. We are Africans, we are Nigerians, we need to appreciate our culture and appreciate art and we need to know that art can be out in our rooms and make the room beautiful so why should we go to the other world and portray our works when we an do it right in our home." EXTERIOR OF EXHIBITION VENUE BANNER READING: "MIDES FUN WORLD - A 4 DAY ART INTERIOR EXHIBITION" VARIOUS OF GUESTS LOOKING AT ART WORKS ON THE WALL ART WORK ON THE WALL GUESTS DISCUSSING VARIOUS OF ART WORKS ON THE WALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) YEMI OMAKPARE, LAGOS RESIDENT SAYING: "I hate to see that people will come out and they will be looking for jobs. I love them to do what is in them because when we see what is in you, what is in me, then the world will be a better place. I am so encouraged, what I have seen here, I have not seen some art work like this, I see something that can be useful in schools, in children's room, in our living rooms, in the offices, she cuts across so all her art works will be useful to anybody." MORE OF ART WORKS ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF GUEST LOOKING AT ART WORK (SOUNDBITE) (English) CALLY NWEKE, LAGOS RESIDENT SAYING: "They are very very nice indeed, I think I like a lot of them. In particular, I'm enthused by the old photographs of Lagos, Idumota, Carter bridge, they are really nice you know, it makes you see how far we have come as a country." PAINT BRUSHES (SOUNDBITE) (English) FUNMI ALASHOLUYI , NIGERIAN ARTIST SAYING: "We have a lot of artists here that are really hiding, their works are not really been portrayed or shown out to the public and to the international you know, level outside the world. I think a lot of us are hiding because people perceive art to be expensive, it's only like the rich people that can afford to buy it. I believe it should be general thing and once that awareness is being exposed to people, then other people from there, from home will now extend it to the outside world." VARIOUS OF ART CRITIC ADEOLA BALOGUN IN HIS OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADEOLA BALOGUN, ART CRITIC SAYING: "To me it''s like she's still testing the waters, because she can actually focus on one or two. I could even see photography so that was why I said I saw a lot of things being put together in a single show, right and yes it's a good thing because I mean but when you look at the arrangement, you are more or less bringing it down to craft level." 19s. VARIOUS OF ART WORKS
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Reuters ID: LVAAH12O5TKM6YE66TCQ48OTNZFC
  • Story Text: Funmi Alasholuyi is a budding Nigerian artist. She has spent the most part of the last six months holed up in her art studio working on a collection of paintings, sculptures and installations for her first art exhibition.
    The up-and-coming artist decided to pursue a dream to become an artist two years ago, after working for her family manufacturing business for 10 years.
    Although Africa is still widely viewed in art circles as a source of fine art for auctions in the developed world rather than a market in itself, an art boom in Nigeria, coinciding with a turn by the country's super rich elite and small but growing middle class towards art as a store of wealth, may change that.
    Alasholuyi hopes to tap into the growing market and and make art more accessible to the general public at an affordable price.

    "I want my art work to be in everybody's home and if I want it to be in everybody's home then it has to be affordable. I want people to appreciate it you know, a lot of people when they see my paintings and my work, they are like ah, if you were in England, in America, you'll sell a lot of this. I don't like to hear that. We are Africans, we are Nigerians, we need to appreciate our culture and appreciate art and we need to know that art can be out in our rooms and make the room beautiful so why should we go to the other world and portray our works when we an do it right in our home," she said.
    Showcasing her versatility, Alasholuyi's recently held her first exhibition in Lagos.
    The display of colourful paintings based on domestic scenes, sketches, ankara patch work, embroidery designs and photography, attracted hundreds of visitors.
    The exhibition titled; "My journey from the Queens land to Daystar" chronicled her life from when she was in the United Kingdom to her return to Nigeria in 2003.
    For some of the visitors who thought art was out of their reach, Alasholuyi's work showed it can be accessible to the wider public and raised hopes that it be a source of employment.

    "I hate to see that people will come out and they will be looking for jobs. I love them to do what is in them because when we see what is in you, what is in me, then the world will be a better place. I am so encouraged, what I have seen here, I have not seen some art work like this, I see something that can be useful in schools, in children's room, in our living rooms, in the offices, she cuts across so all her art works will be useful to anybody," said one guest at the exhibition, Yemi Omakpare.

    "They are very very nice indeed, I think I like a lot of them. In particular, I'm enthused by the old photographs of Lagos, Idumota, Carter bridge (areas in Lagos), they are really nice you know, it makes you see how far we have come as a country," said another guest at the exhibition, Cally Nweke Nigeria's more than 160 million population, position as the continent's top oil producer and potentially huge middle class, have proved a constant draw for luxury goods sellers.
    Some Nigerian artists, like Bruce Onobrakpeya who made a name for themselves internationally have in the past four years seen their works find a growing market at home.
    Alasholuyi's art exhibition raked in 2,201 US dollars in ten days.
    A small success - but she says there needs to be more effort in creating awareness about art and the fact that is not only for the wealthy.

    "We have a lot of artists here that are really hiding, their works are not really been portrayed or shown out to the public and to the international you know, level outside the world. I think a lot of us are hiding because people perceive art to be expensive, it's only like the rich people that can afford to buy it. I believe it should be general thing and once that awareness is being exposed to people, then other people from there, from home will now extend it to the outside world," she said.
    Art critic, Adeola Balogun disagrees. He says exhibitions like Alasholuyi's are not the best direction for Nigerian art to take because they lack focus.

    "To me it's like she's still testing the waters, because she can actually focus on one or two. I could even see photography so that was why I said I saw a lot of things being put together in a single show, right and yes it's a good thing because I mean but when you look at the arrangement, you are more or less bringing it down to craft level," Balogun said.
    According to Nigerian auctioneers, Southern Africa and East Africa are still ahead when it comes to producing internationally recognised art, but Nigerians are becoming Africa's biggest collectors of art.
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