By Japhet Alakam

AS part of activities marking the 50th independence anniversary of Nigeria, Street Art Gallery in collaboration with Rock View Hotel, Apapa penultimate week presented a 3 day anniversary exhibition titled ,Cultural Tales: 50th Independence Art Exhibition.

The exhibition which is the first of its kind in the area and the first by Street Art Gallery opened on the 1st of October and ended on 3rd of October, 2010 at the Rock View Hotel, Park lane Apapa. The exhibition featured about 60 paintings and sculptural works of 10 seasoned Nigerian artists. Amongst the artists were; Bisi Fakeye, Babalola Lawson, Bunmi Babatunde, Fidelis Eze Odogwu, Adeodunfa, Ogunnusi Dolapo, Sam Ajobiewe, Olumide Onadipe, Bob Nosa and Razaq.

One of the works featured was a sculptural piece by Bisi Fakeye titled, Chorus Leader. The work that depicts a sculptural wood carving of a young lady with a traditional music instrument in her hands was indeed spectacular as it captured the attention of viewers. Apart from that and other old works displayed, there were also some new works of the artist that have not been shown before.

According to the curator of Street Art gallery, Ikiko Inyang, a Philosophy graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and a one time researcher with the late, Peter Areh of Pendulum Gallery Lekki, the exhibition was borne out of the philosophy of the late, Areh, who said that “art should be taken to every space where an object can be shown.” “So based on that and in collaboration with Rock View Hotel which provides a very good exhibition space, we decided to bring this exhibition out of the exhibition circuit of the Lagos Island.”

On the title of the exhibition, Inyang disclosed that it was a title that captured the relevance of not only Nigerian art but African culture because “we believe that some of the works featured will go a long way in exemplifying the cultural details of Africa. Those cultural details that were embedded in Nigeria culture are not all about the poetic, but about the way people live, the inhabitants, the tradition and even ,the political conditions of the people.”