Mydrim Hosts Fagorusi’s First Solo Show, Honours the Elderly

Yinka Olatunbosun

This is exciting news for the elderly. A realist artist, Segun Fagorusi is honouring them with his latest body of works at his first solo exhibition titled ‘Ibile.’ The graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife began his painting as a child inspired by his brother’s cartoon sketches. Art was all around him- he was weaned on books, music and oral poetry. His mother, an English teacher ensured that the house was a library of sorts- filled with African literature from authors like Cyprian Ekwensi, Wole Soyinka, Elechi Amadi and Chinua Achebe. He was also weaned on jazz from Yanni to Agboola Shadare.

But he had to convince his parents that his rich baritone voice and clear enunciation would not be used in the court room. He loved the arts and so, he was very reluctant to study law. Then he found an alibi.

“In 2006, law was not accredited in OAU so I switched to Fine Arts,’’ he said. Upon his graduation, he stayed back in Ife, enjoying the purity of the traditional culture of the people and cultivated close relationships with many elderly ones.

Fagorusi spoke about a recent experience where an elderly woman- when alive, barely received visitors and the day after she died, her relations came in droves for a flamboyant party. He lamented the plight of these older ones who seem to want to enjoy life but have been left alone to die “instalmentally”.

With Ibile, he documents the experiences of the elderly and how they relate to life after retirement. He was first inspired to do a body of works after participating in a church outreach programme where free medications were donated to the elderly. Many of them just needed basic medications like paracetamol which they could not afford yet they have children who could afford to provide these. Fagorusi reasoned that the only way to communicate the plight of these elderly to society at large is through his painting. This phase of life is challenging. For some, health deteriorates. But there is much to learn from them because they embody wisdom.

“What I realise is that the society is gradually failing in its responsibility to take care of these ones. Politicians use them for votes. And pensioners faint and even die in queues for their pension. Now, it is no longer news,’’ he said.

Some elderly ones often come to watch him paint. Some are women who attend his church and sadly, in their prayer requests, they usually pray for their children- to remember them.

Influenced by Kelani Abass and Jonathan Imafidor, Fagorusi works mainly with oil and acrylic showcasing portraits of the elderly. In some of the works, he captures the emotions of his subjects with techniques such as drip painting.

The show which opens on September 11 is preceded by a private viewing scheduled to hold on September 9 and 10. During the press preview, the curator of the show, David Oluwatoyin revealed that Fagorusi had participated in three editions of ‘Future Masters’ group exhibition at Mydrim Gallery.

On those being targeted by the exhibition, he remarked that people of all age groups to remind them of the responsibility they have towards their elderly.