By Onyeka Ezike

It was an evening of sober reflection, impact, and cherished memory, as friends of Onome Umukoro gathered art enthusiasts to an art exhibition to witness the exploration of deep emotional and psychological landscapes through Onome Umukoro’s artworks.

The exhibition titled ‘Insanity and Madness as a Result of Grief’, was held recently in Ikeja, Lagos.

Onome Umukoro was a young law school undergraduate who died with so much gift and talent. The exhibition was organized by a group of friends from Onome Umukoro’s Law School.

It was dedicated to completing and showcasing the late Onome’s vision and the launching of her foundation. Onome was a creative young lady with so much passion for humanity, using her artistic talent and personal journey to capture her story.

Onome’s artworks are divided into three categories: E-Canvas Art — a collection of her paintings and mixed media pieces; E-Photography — pictures taken and curated by Onome, highlighting her perspective on the theme; and E-Digital Art Digital — Creations that Onome was passionate about, showcasing her ability to merge technology with traditional art forms.

Speaking at the event, Onome’s father, Mr Ufuoma Umukoro, described his daughter as a Light to her generation, an all-around talent, and a phenomenal artist. He thanked God for the privilege to be her father.

He said that Onome affected so many lives and there are many of her friends who she impacted in their lives, but are not present in the exhibition. He said that Onome shared the vision of having this exhibition with her friends in Law school before her death in May this year.

“It is astonishing to me because the driving force of this event are people she met in December last year, after her return from the United Kingdom to start her Law School in Nigeria, and most of these people were ‘Bar 1’ with her, from that December to March this year. And for people to take that responsibility to organize an exhibition like this, tells me who she was while she was alive with us.”

The exhibition showcased 27 artworks made by Onome before her death, some of which were a combination of photography, canvas painting and e-digital arts. The five sections of her photography art were titled ‘The Makoko Series’, which showcase pictures of some children living in Makoko driving a canoe, while others represent life in the community.

Among Onome’s vision was to launch her foundation, the UMK Foundation, before her demise. The foundation aims to support young people with terminal or chronic illnesses by providing financial assistance for their artistic endeavours and medical bills and nurture an environment where creativity can thrive despite health challenges, offering a platform for self-expression and healing through arts.

Miss Emike Ayiamah, a cousin to the late Onome Umuroko said that the idea behind the exhibition was coined from the fact that Onome was a Light to many people in her life, her friends, family members and her community. “Onome studied art in secondary school, and she has always loved to paint and draw, she took up the hobby and turned it into something greater, and that’s why we are here to celebrate her achievement while she was alive,” she said.

Miss Bliss Okotobei said: “Onome had a dream of invoking change around the world through her works. She wanted to make a significant change in the system of government without leaving any stone unturned.”