Azekwoh’s There is a Country as Insight into A Nation’s Challenges

Yinka Olatunbosun

At 63, Nigeria’s lingering challenges are of deep concern to its citizens and artists are reflecting this reality this art season. Inside the evolutionary art of Anthony Azekwoh lies deep truths about justice and fairness using the hydrid of realtime and digital windows. Azekwoh’s adventure, inspires a solo art exhibition titled There Is a Country, opening on Monday October 2 at Yenwa Gallery, Muri-Okunola, Victoria Island, Lagos. The exhibition, curated by Ugonna Ibe, touches fabric of contemporary Nigeria, including the corrupt political climate in the country.

Split into two-volume presentations, ‘There is A Country’ will open with digital paintings on canvas, kicking off the narrative from October 20, 2020, an unforgettable period in Nigeria’s history. Art’s incursion onto the realm of Nigeria’s nationhood, interestingly, has also found the appropriate space in newly launched Yenwa Gallery founded by Ugonna Ibe, curator and former director at Guild of Professional Fine Artists of Nigeria (GFA).

Ibe, a graduate Harvard University, US who returned to Nigeria in 2014 revealed that “There is a Country will have digital assets that can be acquired, marking a first for this sort of collaboration in the Lagos art scene.”

Works like ‘Tinúkẹ́́’ ‘Kèhinde,’ and ‘Animal Talk’ are among the works to be shown. Significantly, Animal Talk, is inspired by Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat classic ‘Beasts of No Nation’ and Orwell’s satire ‘Animal Farm.’ In the work Azekwoh applies a tongue in cheek motif to present an allegorical cross section of various facets of the Nigerian lived experience.

The digital part of the exhibition revisits the controversial Lekki Toll Gate shooting of October 20, 2022. “This date holds particular significance, marking the Lekki Tollgate Shooting, a watershed moment for both the artist and the country,” Yenwa Gallery stated. The gallery explained Azekwoh’s work is an evolution of Chinua Achebe’s mournful ‘There Was a Country,’ serving as an artistic proclamation, grappling with the new realities and unyielding hope of a young generation of Nigerians.”

The exhibition delves into the profound societal shifts catalyzed by moments of collective trauma and the emergence of inspiring figures like Peter Obi.

Anthony Azekwoh (b. 2000) is a contemporary artist and author based in Lagos, Nigeria.His work primarily focuses on African folklore and mythology, using these themes and figures to tell stories of his country, transformation, and change. Anthony is familiar with change; teaching himself how to draw as a child after solely being a writer; dropping out of school to pursue his career; and working between digital and traditional, painting and sculpting.

His work explores fantastical realms, and drawing from a childhood immersed in folklore to redefine the tradition mode of African storytelling. His works aim to condense shared facets of the African experience which are largely excluded from the global conversation. Using technology, Azekwoh’s work replicates traditional techniques through digital mediums, and blurs the boundary between both by producing physical, corporeal manifestations of his work. He is currently exploring a new medium-sculpting, which has allowed him to explore the concept of immortalisation and platforming. By focusing this aspect of his practice on representing various historical figures and facets of Nigerian culture, as well as celebrating the elements of the Nigerian identity.