By Elizabeth Osayande

Aisha Aliyu-Bima is on a mission to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about Northern Nigeria, especially concerning female artists, with her groundbreaking debut of Arewa. The exhibition, hosted at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Pan Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki Campus, showcased the works of 40 artists and 91 art pieces. Aliyu-Bima’s initiative, supported by Africa No Filter, PAU, and Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, seeks to address the under-representation of contemporary Northern Nigerian artistic practitioners and to provoke a reevaluation of what Northern Nigeria truly represents.

Recently, Aliyu-Bima with the support of her partners hosted journalists on a tour of the exhibition. The tour also had a panellist discussion that included revered art educator, painter, and scholar, Prof. Jerry Buhari; the charismatic and cerebral Deputy Sunday Editor and Arts Editor, ThisDay Newspaper, Mr Okechukwu Uwaezuoke; the versatile and outspoken CEO of RadioNow 95.3 FM, Mrs Kadaria Ahmed; and the erudite Dean of the School of Media and Communication at PAU, Dr Ikechukwu Obiaya.

Meanwhile, YSMA Director Jess Castellote and Manager Michael Osaghale provided insights into the establishment of the museum and their collaboration with Aisha Aliyu-Bima. While PAU Vice Chancellor, Prof. Enase Okonedo, also extended a warm welcome to members of the media.

Meanwhile, Aliyu-Bima sheds more light on the interview.

Excerpt:

Who is Aisha?

Aisha Aliyu-Bima: I am Aisha Aliyu-Bima. I am a curator and Director of Arts at the African School of Economics in Abuja. I am also the curator of the exhibition Arewa with a question mark at the Yemisi Shyllon’s Museum of Art at Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

Why Arewa exhibition?

Aisha Aliyu-Bima: This exhibition was a way to fill a gap that I noticed in the Nigerian art space, which is the underrepresentation of contemporary northern Nigerian artistic practitioners. The first symposium of Nigerian art was held in 1976, and when it took place, although there were artists from Zaria School leading the conversation, there were no ethnically Northern artists specifically working in the Northern Nigerian context when the idea of Nigerian art was formed.

For so long, Northern Nigerian art has evolved without a dialogue specific to Northern Nigerian artists. The exhibition seeks to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions about Northern Nigeria and present it as a region made up of multiple ethnicities and languages. It aims to encourage a reevaluation of what Northern Nigeria truly represents.

What do you hope to achieve?

I hope that from this exhibition, curators, journalists, writers, and people in general will be challenged and notice the gaps in their understanding of what Nigeria is, what Nigerian people see, and what Nigerian dreams look like. I aim for inclusivity, where participating artists will be recognized as Nigerian artists working on various themes, not categorised solely as Northern artists.

Can you mention some of the artists in this exhibition?

Certainly, in this exhibition, we have over 40 artists and over 91 pieces on display. Some of the participating artists include Professors Jerry Buhari and Jacob Jari, Nuru Garba, Tony Okpe, and Prof. John Oyedemi. We also have works from upcoming artists like Salim Abdul Razak, Idris Abdullahi, Baraka Sketchbook, Jesse Joshua, and Mangaido Wandawan. Notably, we have the works of multidisciplinary artist TJ Benson and photographers like Maryam Tawakaltu and Selma James. The exhibition features a diverse array of artists.

How do you intend to bridge the gap between the disparity between female and male Northern artists?

If you notice in this exhibition, a specially created section was dedicated to female artists. The marginalisation of Northern female artists inspired me to create a separate space for them within the exhibition, addressing the disparity and providing a platform for their work to be prominently featured.

People almost think that women artists should only address women’s issues.

However, you have works of artists like Judith Okwubara Dada exploring our relationships with technology. You have Mariam Megida’s work exploring the interaction between women and economics and the economic empowerment of women. You have Maryam Tawakaltu’s photographs challenging the ideas that you have of the Nigerian woman and showing her inner life, her joy, and her interaction with her home and her environment. You also see Faith Shemfe’s work, which spotlights traditional practices and elevates them to fine art. You also have the work of a master artisan from Kano, Mujid Dokta who is a Whitesmith who works on metal and creates these intricate metal pieces. So we have a lot of women, wonderful, powerful women, showcasing in this exhibition.