Celebration of Camaraderie and Shared Odyssey 

Aficionados should eagerly anticipate flashes of creative brilliance as a Lagos gallery prepares to host an exhibition of the works of 14 artists from a leading Nigerian art school’s 1999 graduating class. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke writes

Dreams of those nostalgic years back at the Auchi Polytechnic, now forged in the furnace of experience, have, so to speak, resolved themselves into visual anecdotes. And these anecdotes form the basis of the exhibition, Constellation, which opens on August 10 at the Iwalewa Gallery of Art at 29A Chris Madueke Drive in the upmarket Lekki Phase 1 neighbourhood of Lagos. 

A few words about this exhibition: It is basically a reunion of a group of 14 artists—call them a constellation of talents—who graduated from the tertiary institution’s School of Art and Design in 1999. As a constellation, aficionados should expect each artist to bring his or her uniqueness to bear on this project, which commemorates their 25 years of studio practice. 

Talking about these artistic talents—namely, Okwudili Ashikodi-Ebuh, also known as Okus, Kingsley Osarieme Braimoh, Emmanuel Dudu, Franklyn C. Enebeli, Henry Igba, Callistus Imoesi Imhonigie, Joe Nsek, John Oshoke Anabui, Klaranze Okhide, Musa Asuku, Nosakhare Osadolor, Ola Balogun, Pius Oisereme, and Titus Agbara—they are converging as “a melting point” of their over two decades of experience since their graduation, as the Dean of the polytechnic’s School of Art and Industrial Design, Dr. Olajumoke Kukoyi succinctly put it in her foreword to the exhibition’s catalogue. For her, the exhibition, which is on until August 31, is a “vibrant celebration of creativity, bringing together innovative artists who push the boundaries of painting and sculpture.”

Hence, viewers should expect their conjured visions, articulated as paintings and sculptures, to dredge up that sense of camaraderie and shared odyssey as contemporaries at the Edo State-based tertiary institution. No sooner had the group of friends graduated from the polytechnic than fate led them down divergent courses. All they still retained of their time together were memories of the rigorous training regimen at the institution, one that was akin to that of a military academy. 

There must have been moments when they wished to be together again. The pursuit of personal goals and the intricate dynamics of their relationships, however, may have overruled this fleeting nostalgic whim. Furthermore, some of them saw a divergence in their career’s trajectory over time, while others looked overseas for new opportunities.

Still, they kept in touch, getting back together sometimes to celebrate each other’s achievements. Four years after graduating, in 2003, they worked together on their first joint project, a group exhibition called Kindred Spirits at the National Museum that featured solely painters. Yet again, the transient nature of relationships and life’s unpredictability soon took hold. But as communication technology evolved, they continued to interact, and this resulted in other group shows like Intrinsic in 2011 and Free Style in 2007, which strengthened their relationship even more.

Naturally, some, if not all of them, participated in mentorships, art competitions, solo exhibits, and residency programmes over time. Now, reunited with a varied spectrum of artistic whims, they intend to push the limits of their creativity. As they commemorate 25 years of artistic practice, their upcoming exhibition promises to be a moving display of their collective development, making up for lost time and reaffirming their status as one of the most prolific and enduring groups of artists in the institution’s history and Nigeria’s visual art landscape.

Speaking of status, for reasons that are still unclear, someone—who knows who?—assigned the strange and ambiguous label “colorists” to the Auchi Art School graduates, and it has ever since stuck. Meanwhile, cliché-loving art journalists have been repeating this mysterious moniker ad nauseum like a mantra, perpetuating a dogmatic narrative that has grown to be accepted as unquestioned truth. 

The Auchi Art School, a byword for the students and graduates of the Federal Polytechnic Auchi’s Fine and Applied Arts Department, by the way, continues to retain its rating as a testament to the power of creativity and innovation, a beacon of inspiration for generations to come. Since sometime in 1974, when, as a part of the School of Business Studies, the Auchi Polytechnic’s Benin Campus welcomed it as a fledgling department dedicated to art and design, it has evolved over the years as the department’s talents and ambitions grew and became a full-fledged school in 1976. 

This milestone signalled the start of an exciting new chapter, as the school moved to Auchi in 1977 and expanded its services to include three major departments. These departments—painting and general art, graphics and textiles, sculpture, and ceramics—provided the foundation for a thriving creative cluster. Over time, the school evolved, adopting new concepts and disciplines.

Departments were reorganised, and new ones were created, allowing the school to expand and adapt to the changing requirements of its students and the world at large. Throughout it all, the school’s name changed, eventually becoming the School of Art and Industrial Design (also known by its acronym, SAID).

Back to the exhibition, aficionados should eagerly anticipate bursts of creative genius when it opens on Saturday. It is not without good reasons that the Iwalewa Gallery of Art’s founder, Femi Williams, extols it as “a tribute to the enduring spirit of Auchi Polytechnic, where creativity and camaraderie thrive” and “a reminder that art has the power to transform, to uplift, and to connect us in ways that transcend words.”