Sculptors Rallied for Another Elixir
By Yinka Olatunbosun
With masks off, post-pandemic offered a lot of hope and birthed a plethora of ideas, one of which was to synergise the creative energy of artists in a biannual show called Elixir III. Hewn from the rock-solid association formed six years ago, the show has been a refuge of sorts from the storm of the global health crisis that changed our lives. It is against this backdrop that the Sculptors’ Association of Nigeria, ScAN, staged a third edition of the exhibition titled Elixir III: A Testament of Character, Growth, Continuity, and Consistency. The show, which ran from October 6 to 11 at the National Museum, Lagos, had no fewer than 40 participating artists. Though a young association, ScAN has presented itself as a formidable group, enthused with the tenets of art practice, organisation, and promotion. This makes the group a central player in the aesthetic economy of the Nigerian art space. Indeed, Elixir III, in seeking to capture a wide spectrum of discourses, has expanded the demography of its exhibiting sculptors. The inclusion of young graduates is a testament to the growth of inclusivity in the visual arts scene.
Professor Nelson Edewor, the President of ScAN, in his remarks said, “ScAN’s third outing with the theme speaks volumes in responding to the insidious self-inflicted ailing social condition aided by the twain of corruption and bad leadership in Nigeria. The indices of the dire and deteriorating social structure are further inundated by insecurity, economic deterioration, heightened ethnic imbalances leading to cessation agitations from different quarters of the country, perceived electoral theft, and uncontrolled inflation leading to hunger with attendant riots and protests.” The Sculptors’ Association of Nigeria draws its membership from the academia and professional studio artists in Nigeria parading in this show the works of Prof. Nelson Edewor, Dr. Sola Kukoyi, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, and Dr. Adeola Balogun. Dr. Ken Njoku, Dr. Taiwo Sullyman, Akeem Muriana. Ato Arinze, Anthonia Okogwu, Kenny Badaru, Obadan Chris and a host of other great artists. “Elixir III does not claim finality but adds their voices and visions to new issues in the field and our environment,” says the curator, Moses Ohiomokhare. “They have responded to social stimuli and aesthetic demands, giving their works visibility and authorship.
They have applied an enormous variety of media to evoke our emotional responses. We see in this exhibition forms in metal, clay, stone, fibre, wood, plaster, glass, rubber, and random found objects. They have also employed a wide range of techniques to support their artistic identity.” Since inception, the association has hosted three national exhibitions in a row, two international sculpture conferences, a national clay sculpture workshop, active participation in annual International Sculpture Day (ISD) celebrations, collaboration with other art organisations in exhibitions, amongst other activities. Dr. Adeola Balogun, whose steel-made work titled “Entrapment/Displacement” caught the eye at the preview inside the Museum Hall, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, explained the rationale behind the piece. “In view of COVID, we got addicted to living in our cocoon. The electronic scraps repurposed into a stainless ball are a symbol of our isolation. This work speaks to the advent of AI and social media—the advantages and disadvantages—as well as how we use modern technology. Most of us cannot do without our phones. Most of us are enslaved by it.”
