Beyond the Bonding of Kindred Souls
Segun Ade-Martins
Between January 30 and February 8, Professor Peju Layiwola of Nigeria and Ella Amitay Sadovsky of
Israel were the focal points of an art workshop, tagged The Art of Friendship. The workshop, which
was commissioned by Israeli Ambassador Michael Freeman and curated by Susa Rodriguez-Garrido, took place in Nigeria at the Orisun Art Gallery, tucked away in the heart of Abuja's business district, and produced a diptych titled "Insight and Insite," to commemorate 30 years of diplomatic ties and
friendship between Israel and Nigeria.
The organisers had intended that the artists made one piece each to be sold at an auction. The two
artists, on the other hand, insisted on working on both pieces simultaneously in person. This method
demonstrates a great act of selflessness, an indivisible bond between the artists and, as the Israeli
Embassy intends it, between the two countries. Professor Layiwola contributed metal work directly
tooled, while Sadovsky painted fabric in various patterns. Both techniques span across the diptych.
For nine days the artists toiled away in the Orisun Art Gallery with the assistance of the gallery’s
principal, Mrs Adebola Adetunmbi, its manager and curator, Femi Coker, and Jonathan Adamu,
respectively, who sourced materials and made them as comfortable as possible. Remarkably, the
general public was permitted to visit the studio during the workshops. The Israeli diplomats, local
Abuja art enthusiasts, and secondary school students took advantage of this opportunity to witness
not only the renowned artists at work but also the labour of friendship. Sharing their process and
ideas with visitors has undoubtedly enriched their work. It is wonderful to see such cultural
collaboration and sharing. Hence, it would not be out of place to deem the artists brave for stepping
outside of their comfort zone, as well as for welcoming strangers to see their progress with the work.
Apart from a beautiful cultural exchange to strengthen bilateral national ties, the Israeli Ambassador intended that the auction of the resultant diptych should bring benefit to people in need. In this
case, the proceeds will go towards the Department of Creative Arts at the University of Lagos and
the education of vulnerable women in Israel.
Yet, for all the good that this workshop brings to the countries and all involved, one must not overlook the personal involvement of the artists.
Beginning with Sadovsky who is a lecturer of textile arts at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel, the journey to art practice had been a long and rich one. Her work takes on a unique worldview, one that can be described as seeing deeper into the chemical bonds and quarks active in the physical world. Including but not limited to the layers of fabric that she glues down to paint. Her background as a scientist in physics and chemistry informs this unique view. Also present in her work are the traumatic memories of living in an underground bunker during wartime in Israel. She has
finally pushed past the trauma of only painting interiors to painting landscapes from an interior view
and now to painting pure landscapes. In the case of this diptych, she paints the experience of Nigeria through her friends’ guidance.
Then Professor Layiwola, arguably one of the few art history professors in Nigeria with a vibrant studio practice, encoded within the diptych her rich experience with a dear friend, Leila Alexander,
who served as a mentor and one-time midwife to her second child. The significance of the late Mrs
Alexander goes beyond her aiding Professor Layiwola in childbirth but also shaped her worldview regarding charity as the two friends would visit charities together bearing gifts. No small wonder that this may have helped inform Professor Layiwola’s Women and Youth (WY) Art Foundation where she empowers women through the arts in Lagos.
That brings us to the core message that lies in the work, an excerpt from the Torah’s book of Leviticus, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” This is physically imprinted in the work and imprinted in the essence of the workshop as an exercise.
These words also need to be imprinted on the souls of every human.
We can only hope that the owner of the work, will allow such mighty words to be imprinted in their minds and share the work with the world in some capacity. Maybe by loaning it to
a museum or gallery as part of an exhibition in the future. However, we must hail the owner of the
works for their generosity to the artists, the Israeli diplomatic mission, and their charitable causes.
•Ade-Martins writes from Abuja
