Nigeria

_{Isaac Moses and Nneka Isaac-Moses produce, direct, and star in the television series "Goge Africa," an award-winning travel show seen by almost 50 million viewers worldwide. The popular series explores African arts and culture, focusing on performance, festivals, and events. Created as a response to negative stereotypes of Africa that the Moses saw in both international and local media, the show airs throughout the African continent, plus parts of the United Kingdom and the U.S. Read more here}

_{At the just concluded Africa art exhibition entitled “voices from within” held in Enugu Nigeria, Out of the over 300 major artists across Nigeria that had their works on display, 85 per cent of them had works in painting. While it must be said that they were very impressive works of art, woodcarving took a small portion of the stands competing with ceramics and metal works to make up the remaining 15 per cent. Ironically, though small, somehow managed to steal the show. Read more here from the Vanguard}

_{Ashoebi II by Nnenna Okorie}

_{Access Bank sponsored “Private View” of contemporary African art at the prestigious Bonham’s arts gallery on old bond street London. Access Bank’s involvement signposts the emergence of a serious and groundbreaking African Art initiative in Europe and internationally. The sponsorship is consistent with the bank’s strategic CSR focus on the arts which seeks to promote arts by creating platforms for the identification and exposure of arts talents and the projection of unique African art and culture. Read more here from the vanguard.}

^{Agbogidi by Bruce Onobrakpeya}

^{As the whole world is smarting from the biting crunches of world economic break down, Nigeria has surprisingly joined some notable European countries like France and Britain in re-directing economic interest in the direction of Visual arts. Pioneering this effort in Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigerian art is the Art House Contemporary, a company committed to establishing regular venue for the sale of Nigerian and West African art, bringing in works by Bruce Onobrakpeya, Ben Enwonwu, the young US based Nnenna Okore amongst others. Read more here from The VANGUARD.}

_{Smoldering in gossip}

_{Chukz Okonkwo, a prolific artist finds his voice through various media, creating pictorial narratives that showcase the intrinsic beauty of the African society, where the love of living shines through everything we do. Chukz Okonkwo takes us on a journey of self discovery, through colours, strokes and passionate expressions that culminates in an experience worthy of celebration. In Chukz's works, pure elements of his African origins are transformed into sophisticated abstraction of contemporary art through an individual technique and the natural use of modern vocabulary of style and form. Click here to view artist portfolio}

^Nne_Onwonwu

^{(Santa Barbara, Calif.) - During the period from 1950 to 1965, Ben Enwonwu was the most famous artist of African ancestry anywhere in the world. He produced a sculpture of Queen Elizabeth II, traveled to the United States as a guest of the Harmon Foundation and the State Department, and exhibited his work alongside those of Pablo Picasso and other prominent modernists. More than 45 years later, however, Enwonwu has fallen into relative obscurity. Now, Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, an associate professor of art history at UC Santa Barbara, has written a monograph on the life and work of Enwonwu. Titled “Ben Enwonwu: The Making of an African Modernist” Read more courtesy of Edhat.com}

^{The organisers of the AMAA have released guidelines for the 2009 edition of the awards billed to hold in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, Nigeria, on April 4 2009. Entries can be done online at amaaaward.com and submitted with the entry (ies) at the secretariat or at designated points and submission receipt obtained. Only films produced between December 2007 and December 2008 should be entered for the 2009 awards. Films by Africans in Africa or the Diaspora, with a particular focus on Africa, are accepted. Click here for more on application procedure.}

^{Women embrace by Zanele Muholi}

^{This show features the works of Nigerian female artist Lucy Azubuike and her South African counterpart Zanele Muholi. It is an attempt to use the visual arts as a medium to communicate modern debates that affect women in Africa. Azubuike has created a large body of work featuring her menstruation cycle. These simple images contain insights into personal reflections and experiences. Zanele Muholi’s conceptual strategies touches on the physicality of the black female body which she brings to light by studying the attitude of black lesbians, especially in the South African townships. Read more from The Vanguard.}

^{Crescent Moon by Uche Okeke}

^{Flagged off last year in the West African country of Senegal, the National Gallery of Art, under the directorship of Chief Joe Musa, for the first time, took about 18 new Nigerian artists to take part in the famous Dakar Art biennial. The Nigerian artists delegate that held an off art show tagged; NAIJA: An Exhibition of Contemporary Nigerian Art, at the prestigious five star hotel, Hotel Sofitel located in the central business district of Senegal, though highly criticized by the Nigerian press and many art stake holders as lacking in the qualitative strength capable of speaking for Nigerian art, however, provided a very significant opportunity for the world to see another energetic and very creatively gifted sector of Nigerian youths, different and, in fact, very different from the Creek bound trouble makers that call themselves militants. Read more here}

_{Title: Unknown}

_{by Bruce Onobrakpeya}

_{The direction for art sales in Nigeria seems to be pointing northwards as prices paid for works of art continue to fetch in millions of Naira a piece. A receding stock market maybe rearing its ugly head but that did not stop top collectors in the country from digging deep into their wallets.}

_{Is this because of the holiday season, a passing high or is it something that will be sustained in the future?} 

_{Click here to read more}

^{Yoruba bride by Yusuf Grillo}

^{Change ($) they can Believe?}

^{Change is in the Air – or more accurately, under the auctioneer’s hammer – and it may not be very good news for Galleries and art dealers. And it is big money here; from Damien Hirst’s record-bursting 111 million Pounds at Sotheby’s last September, to the N149 million minted by 50 artists this November in Lagos.As artists – and apparently the cash paying customers of art - discover that meeting face to face means more income for the creators of art, gavels and hammers are coming up more often. But does this mean the end of Galleries and art dealership as we know it?....For now, the talk is big too, and Hirst’s rebellions statement, "if you don't like the rule, change it", should be making the traditional middle men of art think of changing their game…Click here to read more from The Guardian.}

^{The stage is now set for the week-long First African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Visual Arts (ARESUVA), which opened on the 07th Sep 2008 in Abuja, Nigeria. The Nigerian government has invested about US$1.8 million to ensure the success of the event. The one week show, which automatically will transform the beautiful city of Abuja to a one-stop destination point for tourism, art, culture and scholarship, is the brainchild of Chief Joe Musa-led National Gallery of Art, NGA. Works of over 40 renowned Nigerian artists, both old and upcoming, will be exhibited. Read more here from Vanguard.}

^{As part of its outlined programmes to reposition Nigerian art and artists, the National Gallery of Art in conjunction with Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, (AGAN), will host the first ever Art Expo Nigeria at the National Museum in Onikan Lagos to be held from the 26th through to 31st August 2008. Art Expo Nigeria is an opportunity for all those who love art to come and see the richness of Nigeria's robust visual arts culture. In this show, over 750 art works will be on display and much like ArtExpo New York which is the world's largest fine and popular art fair. Read more from THE GURDIAN}

^{The Art Republic (Centre for Arts and Cultural Democracy) invites entries from youth and art students in Nigerian universities and polytechnics to submit entries for her third Peace Poster competition and exhibition. All entries must be on paper of archival and acid-free quality, measuring not less than 17x24 inches. Manually produced and computer-aided designs are welcome. Entries must address the theme of “Peace”. Deadline for submission is December 30, 2008. Also the Art Republic announces the resumption of its exhibition/publication project 20th Century Art: A story from Nigeria' Nigerian artists of all generations are invited to submit works. Read more here}

_{GALERIE 23 Hedendaagse Afrikaanse Kunst}

_{Invites you to the "The Unbreakable Nigerian Spirit" exhibition.}

_{From 26 June - 27 July 2008 Galerie 23 presents in cooperation with  African Artists' Foundation (AAF) in Lagos and sponsored by Nigerian Breweries, part of Heineken International}

_{The Unbreakable Nigerian Spirit: Photo’s, paintings and objects of 10 Nigerian artists}

_{The exhibition will be opened on Thursday 26 June 17.30 hours by}  

_{Tom de Man, Regional President Africa & Middle East, Heineken International,}

_{in the presence of artists: Gerald Chukwuma, Yomi Momoh, Tola Wewe, Emmanuel Dudu}

_{And a representatives of AAF.}

_{Also the new catalogue The Unbreakable Nigerian Spirit will be released.}

_{Click here for more}

^{Commercially astute artist, Maria Onyegbule, whose exhibition work includes Hidden Agenda (former Ikon Gallery) and Comforts of Heritage (Oxford House, London) will be visiting Africancolours, Nairobi for a month long residency in July 2008. Maria has a teaching experience which ranges from the formal education setting to community art, “where life long learners have explored their innate creative ability”. Maria describes her work as versatile, empathic and community focused. Click here to view Maria’s virtual exhibition.}

^{When the CEO of the National Gallery of Art, Nigeria, Chief Joe Musa, assumed office two years ago, he made his target very clear for the visual art sub-sector of the Culture Ministry, among other things, the repositioning of the visual art as one of the economic drivers of the national economy and wealth. “My era is an era of art for business”. Until a time when the visual artist, like the musician, would begin to receive royalties for his works, we will not rest". Read more by Mcphilips Nwachuku}

^{Ten Nigerian artists, who recently excelled in an international art exhibition and competition entitled "The Unbreakable Nigeria Spirit", held in different cities of the country would be sponsored by Nigeria Breweries Plc to Amsterdam, Holland to showcase their budding talents in April 2008.The competition organised by the African Artists' Foundation (AAF) in collaboration with the Nigerian Breweries saw to the emergence of 10 including Oladimeji Alabi, Emeka Ogboh and Yomi Momoh. Read more from AllAfrica}

^{Edorodion Ventures, an organisation headed by Eno Louis Enobakhare, organises the yearly Bronze Festival, Benin City. An exhibition of more than 3,000 and other bronze works. It has been on for three years. The 2007 version was sponsored by GTBank and the Edo State Government. The Bronze Festival's objective is to preserve a culture that has produced masterpieces being scrambled for today by the powers-that-be. It is time for action. Read more fron Eno's article on allAfrica.}

^{Joe Musa, Director-General, National Gallery of Arts is sure not playing to the gallery as he plans to give the sector a new face writes Frank Meke. Visual arts and paintings may not hold water with the ordinary Nigerian but the over N2Billion sector is sure attractive for a federal presence. Joe Musa, an accomplished visual artist and painter saddled with turning around the fortunes of the sector, said the strategy is hinged on training and retraining of all stakeholders. Read more from Sun News Online}

^{All is now set for the hosting of the first African regional summit and exhibition on visual arts being put together by the National Gallery of Arts (NGA) to strengthen the place of visual arts in the  development of African countries. The summit, which will be held  at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, has as its theme, Promoting the Visual Arts for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development in Africa. Director-General of the NGA, Mr. Joe Musa made this disclosure. Read more from Benjamin Njoku.}

_{HOW much can the products of culture be used as tools to addressing the challenges of the time? Is it possible to use arts  and culture in providing solutions to the prevailing social problems of unemployment, youth restiveness, poverty, national  integration and unity in diversity? Does the greatest challenge facing the Nigerian nation today transcend that of  maintenance of territorial integrity to contending with the monstrous activities of the present day youths? Read more}

_{Nigerian born artist, Yisa Akinbolaji is participating in a group exhibition at the Mennonite Heritage Centre; Winnipeg, Canada titled “Invisible Dignity”. His dexterity and uncompromising freedom in his colour usage, has earned him several commissioned projects in mosaic installations. Yisa recently installed a dynamic new mosaic in the front yard of his home titled “Peace and Purpose”. The unveiling ceremony literally stopped traffic. Read more}

_{Prince Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Oyekale Osuntoki, also known as Twins Seven Seven is one of the most well known contemporary African artists. His technique is richly variable and his works mirror his multifaceted media, passionate personality and the influence of the rites and rituals of the Yoruba culture. Between 17 June to 27 July 2007, Twins Seven Seven’s work is exhibited in the Galerie in der Promenade in the Bavarian city of Fürth. Read more by Akinyi Princess of K'Orinda-Yimbo}

_{An exhibition of textiles from diverse Commonwealth countries that recall the astonishing skills of traditional designers is currently underway at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Gallery in Melbourne, Australia. Titled “Threading the Commonwealth” and curated by Prof. Jasleen Dhamija, the exhibition simply reveals in a bold manner the implicit immersion in traditional and cultural norms by the creators ....more}