When ‘Self-Reliance’ art exhibition held
Atwo-week exhibition featuring over 50 works of arts by students and teachers of Air Force Comprehensive School, Agbani, Enugu, which held in the main hall of the National Gallery of Art, Enugu, ended with a call to parents and the larger Nigerian society to have a more positive thought towards art as a subject worthy of encouragement in the nation’s secondary school system.
The event, which attracted over 200 participants from all walks of life was declared open by the Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Nigeria Air Force, Enugu Air Vice Marshal, S. O. Akpasa who was represented by the Commanding Education Officer, Group Captain A. A. Dogo.
With a careful stroke of the brush, and a blend of yellow, green, red, black, white, pink and other eye-popping colours, Joseph Favour was able to create on poster colour mixed with top glue a painting of a young, energetic man in white T-Shirt, black trouser and shoe to match. The youth is seen holding in both hands the Nigerian flag while standing firmly on a podium, addressing a huge crowd of young people on how to take over the leadership of the country from the old generation of leaders who probably have not steered the ship of state in a better direction.
Ekechukwu Ozioma’s piece depicted the current political mood of the nation is captioned. The artist used tiny beads, sand and glue plus various colours to achieve the effect. With a hand painted in orange holding a yellow ballot paper marked ‘Vote For Positive Change’ and about to drop into a greenwhite-green ballot box, the young artist perhaps spoke volumes about the apparent mood of the country where the masses appear to be clamouring for positive change.
The idea of ‘Turning Point’ is to inspire the Nigerian masses to vote for, not just change, but a positive change that would be of huge benefit to the majority of the citizens.
Ifedilichukwu Chibuike, the school’s Art Director, Cultural/ Creative and Visual Art Teacher showed his mastery of the use of abstract forms, depicting different individuals in their own world. “The different colours portray our little faults even though we try to be perfect,” he said.
The school’s Commandant, Wing Commander US Ibrahim said the exhibition was the first of its kind in the school, but noted that the most urgent issue in Nigeria today was the problem of unemployment.
Ibrahim said the aim of the exhibition was to showcase the students’ talented artists among the students of the school and use the avenue to showcase the power of self-reliance bearing in mind that the art sector is one of the fastest growing economies in Nigeria. He said the exhibition would throw fresh light into art appreciation and patronage in the country.
Deputy Director, Vice Principal in charge of Administration of the school, Onyia Osita said the theme of the exhibition was timely because the “high level of unemployment has brought untold hardship to many” in the country.
Osita, however, said that all areas of human endeavour capable of solving human problems could make one self-reliant, adding that “artists should therefore seek to provide solution and add value to various aspects of human life through their work. In so doing, they will become self-reliant.”