By Chukwuma Ajakah

The professional body of registered sculptors in Nigeria – Sculptors Association of Nigeria, ScAN, performed the inauguration of her Board of Trustees on April 16 and held its National Conference on April 21-22, 2021. Both events were conducted on dual platforms of physical and online participation.

Eight out of the nine-member board were inaugurated. They include the board Chairman, his Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife; the Association President, Sculptor Oladapo Afolayan and Secretary Dr. Olusola Kukoyi were inaugurated physically at the royal palace of Ile-Ife. The Assistant Director of NGA, Osogbo, Mr. Alabi conducted the chairman’s inauguration, while the Ooni conducted Inauguration of the president and secretary.

Other board of trustees had their inauguration conducted by ScAN representatives at various locations. They included Omooba (Engr.) Yemisi Shillon at Maryland, Lagos. The newly elected Lagos SNA Lagos State Chapter Chairman and his entire cabinet were also present. Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya had his inauguration at his Oloje studio, Lagos, while the inauguration of Dr. Chief Mrs. Nike Davies Okundaye inauguration took place at the Nike Gallery, Lekki, Lagos.

Other inaugurations conducted were Prof. Tonie Okpe in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, while Dr. Okay Ikenegbu’s inauguration took place at NGA grounds, Enugu. For logistic reasons but with his consent, the inauguration of H.E. Arc. Obong Victor Attah had to be postponed.

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Highlights of the inauguration was presentation of BoT Certificates and ScAN Medal of honour to the inductees. In his reaction, the proprietor of Yemisi Shyllon Museum and largest collector or arts in Africa, Yemisi Shyllon, observed that ScAN has a great amount of work to carry out in educating, enlightening and projecting the essence of sculptural forms through publication of online journals, exhibitions and conferences. He therefore called for cooperation of all stake holders in fulfillment of ScAN’s mandate.

At the Conference, thirty academic papers delivered physically and online. Participants were drawn from Zaria, Enugu, Uyo, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Abuja, Ijebu-Ode, Abeokuta and Lagos. Under the main theme, “Public Art and Our City Scape”. Papers presented covered areas like- Production, Cluster formations, Public Space, philosophy, Perception, Aesthetics, Education, National Identity, Standards and Standardization, Management and Advocacy. The conference held at the OAU Conference center in full observance of COVID-19 safety protocols.

The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Ogunmodede, Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC) and Chairperson, Dean of Deans and Dean, Environmental Management, Prof. M.O Babalola, were in attendance. The V.C, in his remark, highlighted the values of art in the building of environment. OAU, through the V.C, offered to sponsor the next Association’s project, in the event that ScAN chooses to consider OAU as venue.

Other highlights of the conference were distribution of registered member’s certificate, book of Abstracts and participant’s certificate. Papers presented at the conference will form a body of articles for the Association journal which will debut in Oct 2021.

The communique issued at the end of the conference read:

“The Association is conscious of the fact that perhaps, the greatest contribution of Africans to world cultural heritage is in the field of sculpture. The Association is therefore poised and determined to preserve and promote the ethics and ethos of sculpture and its professional practice in Nigeria and beyond. Members at the conference are therefore unanimous in their resolve to advance and protect sculpture and its professional practice in Nigeria, in the areas of Professionalism, Education, Advocacy and Standardization as enumerated bellow:

“Going by the rate of destruction, defacement and abuse of public sculptures in Nigeria, it has become exigent for ScAN to create a directory of public sculptures in every zone of the nation. Many sculptures have been lost to arbitrary demolition by individuals and governmental agencies. Each zone will be mobilized to document all public sculptures within the zone. A committee on documentation will be put in place on zonal basis. Compendium of these sculptures shall be available to the public to create awareness and monitoring.

“ScAN decry the spate of poor execution public sculptures in our public space due to incompetent craftsmanship arising from award of commission to non-sculptors and third parties. ScAN will create an advisory committee to advice government on all public sculpture commissions. Government at various levels shall be encouraged to create a park to accommodate all relocated sculptures instead of the present outright destruction.

“It is the view of the Association that some sculptors are complicit in destruction of public sculptures at the point of relocation due to weak pedestal bases. ScAN therefore advice and caution all sculptors working on public commissions to ensure durable pedestals to mount their work in anticipation of future relocation.

“ScAN advised sculptors working on all public commissions to take advantage of art clusters to engage other sculptors through professional collaborations.

“Sculptures are intellectual properties of sculptors though in a joint ownership with the sponsors, hence they should be consulted and engaged in case of refurbishment, sale, transfer (of ownership) and relocation of their works.

“ScAN regrets the impunity that led to the destruction of a portion of Artits’ Village, a cluster of visual artists, performing artists, and art bodies in Lagos. ScAN considers this retrogressive action is an affront on Nigerian creative industry more so when one of the cardinal objectives of the Vision 20:2020 was to encourage the creation of business clusters with the government providing enabling environment through the provision of amenities and foster Public-Private Partnership (PPP) engagement.

“In order to preserve Nigeria’s artistic heritage and promote national identity, ScAN proposed that a percentage of the total cost of public built environment and monuments in public space should be devoted to sculpture. ScAN shall push for legislation towards this end.

“Finally, due to the protracted delay and inactivity of ScAN consultants on the earlier scheduled exhibition tagged – “Now Sculpture”, the Association Executive Committee has taken a decision to abdicate the exhibition and commence the process of a new exhibition which will hold at a date to be announced soon.

Vanguard News Nigeria