CHIGOZIE OBI, NOW ACCESS BANK ART X PRIZE WINNER

VISUAL ARTS

Yinka Olatunbosun

A multi-dimensional visual artist, Chigozie Obi has emerged as the winner of the 2021 Access Bank ART X Prize. Obi was selected by an esteemed jury, headed by Wura Natasha-Ogunji from a shortlist of five finalists including Chukwudi Onwumere, Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Nyancho NwaNri, and Omoregie Osakpolor.

Obi stood out for her use of vibrant colours and figures to portray emotions and stories formed from personal experiences and focuses on the representation of Black people in their diversity. She will receive prize winnings of N1.8m towards a solo exhibition at ART X Lagos, tailored mentorship support, and as well as a residency at Gasworks, London.

The 2021 edition of the Access Bank ART X Prize was adjudicated by a jury of five renowned artists and industry stakeholders, namely Wura-Natasha Ogunji, Ugoma Adegoke, Ndidi Dike, Marie-Ann Yemsi, Dexter Wimberly, Alessio Antoniolli, and Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze.

At the formal event to announce the winner held at EbonyLife Place in Victoria Island, Lagos, the other finalists were introduced briefly to the audience who also had the opportunity to see a short documentary of ART X Lagos’s journey through six years.

One of the finalists, Chukwudi Onwumere is a photographer whose interest in the medium grew while documenting the beautiful city of Lagos. Onwumere has evolved from landscape painting to fine art and documentary photography. Onwumere was among the photographers commissioned by Q dance in the first edition of Dance Gathering (2017). He was a finalist in the United States Embassy Photo Competition, Nigeria (2018), a finalist in Lagos Photo Festival (2019), amongst other feats.

Mobolaji Ogunrosoye is a self-taught conceptual artist whose practice revolves around subject matters of selfhood, body image, and the impact of societal influences on personal identity. Using photography and collaging techniques, Ogunrosoye documents physicality and emotion by studying archival material. Ogunrosoye held her first solo exhibition; Loose Woman, curated by A White Space Creative Agency, in 2018.

Nyancho NwaNri is a lens-based artist and documentary photographer whose works explore identity, the human psyche, indigenous African spiritual traditions and knowledge systems, as well as social and environmental issues. Her works have been showcased at various exhibitions and festivals including Eyes On Main Street Festival, North Carolina, USA, (2021); The Oceans and Its Interpreters, Hong-Gah Museum, Taipei, Taiwan, (2020); ART X Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria in 2019.

Omoregie Osakpolor is a documentary photographer and filmmaker whose work focuses primarily on social justice and culture. Through his art, Osakpolor expresses his thoughts and tells human stories with the hope to critically engage his society. His works have been exhibited in group exhibitions including the 12th Bamako Encounters (2019); Thought Pyramid Art Centre (2019) and others in Lagos, Abuja, and Benin City. His short film “Grey” won the Fashola Photography Foundation Prize.

The sixth edition of ART X Lagos in 2021 will be a hybrid offering, with a physical fair from November 4 to 7 November and a parallel online fair extending from November 4 to 21. The fair will deliver an expanded program that will include the presentation of 30 of Africa and the diaspora’s leading galleries, a talk session, and specially curated projects both in person and at the online fair.

The Founder, ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside expressed her gratitude for the support of friends of ART Lagos.

“Art X Lagos has been a group effort,’’ she remarked. “When the pandemic hits, and you are in the business of experiential, arts and event, you would wonder what would become of a platform like ART X Lagos that brings thousands of people to one destination. I really hope that we can come back this year with the hybrid fair,’’ she said.

The Group Head, Corporate Communications, Access Bank Plc, Amaechi Michael Okobi assured the ART X collective of the unwavering support of the financial institution.

“Artists in general help to change the current narrative to show that good can come of Nigeria and Africa. Access Bank will continue to support the Access Bank ART X Prize,’’ he said.