By Chris Onuoha

AS a way of imparting knowl edge and creating art awareness on higher institutions in Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation Nero Asibelua Foundation has donated books to 100 universities in Nigeria that have arts department.

The book entitled  Collecting Art: A handbook, by Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) and renowned art collector and Jess Castellote, art critics and writer aims to empower young student artists on how to practice the industry efficiently after graduation.

Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Nero Asibelua in his welcome remark said; ‘We are not here to celebrate ourselves but celebrate authors who have written this book. We are donating knowledge to all the universities, polytechnics, colleges of education that have department of arts. I have taken arts very seriously but it is unfortunate in this clime that most people are not educated to know different types of arts. In arts, it is posterity that counts; it outlives you and becomes a piece of artwork on the wall. The foundation has a passion for the arts and we want to encourage people, artistes and that was why we took particular interest in this book because we want to extend knowledge to a lot of people.”

Speaking on what informed the project and his love for arts, Nero Asibelua had this to say, “ My father gave me a piece of the late Ben Enwonwu’s artwork some decades ago and had the desire to sell the artwork for N600,000, but a buyer told me, he was going to pay N700,000. I gladly accepted it and sold it to the man. To my surprise, the man, two days later sold that same artwork for N3m. I was naïve at that time and didn’t know the value of the artwork with me and today, I don’t want people to make the same mistake that I did, hence, that’s why am donating these books to the ivory towers for young people to know and understand the value of artworks with them,” Asibelua concluded.

Prof. Fabian Ajiogwu, a co-author said; “We should develop the human mind and create a better society on how we can help others. There is a big practice between the practice of any profession and the business of that profession. If you don’t take the true benefit of your work, someone else will take the real benefit of your work. A lot of artists have poor intellectual property of their works, they need the different arts, learn the rudiments and make good use of your work to your benefit.”

Ajiogwu, an arts collector further stated,  Collecting Art: A handbook, is essentially a work that my co-author Jess Castellote, put out to provide knowledge to everyone, artists, collectors, gallery owners and everyone who is connected with the arts to understand the intricacies of a propriety rights for artistes, intellectual property guiding them properly the wealth that they have created, preserve artworks, how to sell it, insurance use, sales and resale of the rights of the artists among others.

Jess Castellote in his remarks said, “It is true that collectors play an important role in the arts industry. Our objective is to help people know the practice of collecting art which is growing. There are various types of collectors and we want them do what they know how to do better. It talks about documentation, strategy, relationship with galleries, storage, insurance and all the good things that make a good collector.” Notable personalities in the art sector that were at the launch include Prof. J.P Clark and his wife Prof Ebun Clark, Dr. Kunle Adeyemi, Dean, School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Dr. Kunle Filani, former Provost, College of Education, Akoka, Olu Ajayi, and others.