UCHE OKEKE at 70: AN UPDATE
by
Kingsley Ene-Orji
On
April 30, 2003, Professor Uche Okeke will be seventy years old. Uche Okeke
who is a painter, sculptor, poet, writer, philosopher and an academic has
contributed in numerous ways towards the development and propagation of art
in Nigeria within a span of about fifty years.
Pendulum Art Gallery, Lagos and Art-in-Africa Project are rounding off
preparations geared towards marking this anniversary. A series of events
have been out lined and they are:
A
Colloquium which will be held at Asele Institute, Nimo in Anambra State on
May 3, 2003 at 11.am. This event will be an intellectual exercise where
knowledgeable scholars will deliver talks on the works of Professor Uche
Okeke and issues on contemporary Nigeria Art. Some of these scholars are
Professor Ola Oloidi, Department of Fine and Applied Arts U.N.N., Professor
Osa Egonwa, President S.N.A. and of Covenant University Otta, Dr. Kunle
Filani, Deputy Provost Federal College of Education (Technical) Akoka Lagos,
Mr. Jerry Buhari, Department of Fine Arts, ABU, Zaria, and Mr. Peter Eze,
Dept of Sociology and Anthropology. UNN.
This
round-table event will be an interactive forum that will enable participants
to discuss and analyze issue generated from the talks delivered. It will be
chaired by Emeritus Professor Simon Ottenberg of the University of
Washington and moderated by Okay Ikenegbu the Director of School of
Communication Art, IMT Enugu. This colloquium will also be a veritable
opportunity for all to interact on a one-on-one basis with Professor Uche
Okeke.
The
Triumph of Asele is a retrospective solo exhibition by Professor Uche Okeke,
which will be held from 17 to 31 May, 2003. This event to be hosted by
Pendulum Art Gallery, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, is particularly significant
because for over a decade this artist has not had a solo exhibition anywhere
in the world. The organizers in selecting and packaging a broad spectrum of
Uche Okeke’s works have invested a lot of resources. These exhibits in
diverse media like paintings, prints, drawings, posters and illustrations
span over forty years of creative enterprise beginning from 1950s to 1990s.
These exhibits were selected to reflect different phases in his creative
trajectory.
The
periodization will take this format: Before Zaria, Zaria Post Zaria, Nsukka
and After Nsukka. The categorization will be based on his place of
residence, stylistic thrust and periods in Nigeria’s history. This show will
afford art lovers and collectors an opportunity to appreciate Uche Okeke’s
talent as a draughtsman par excellence in terms of range, inventiveness,
experimentation and depth. This exhibit is intended to show case drawing as
a serious genre of art. Over fifty arts works will be up for viewing and
serious art consumers may be allowed a sneak preview at the Pendulum Art
Gallery.
Perhaps the highlight of this event will be the launch of a book published
to commerate this anniversery:- The Triumph of a Vision: an Anthology on
Uche Okeke and Modern Art in Nigeria. This book will be made up of essays by
seasoned art historians and critics like Simon Otternberg, Ola Oloidi, Osa
Egonwa, Kunle Fulani, Peter Ezeh, Jerry Buhari, Ernest Okoli, Krydz
Ikwuemesi, Frank Uguiomoh and several others. Photograph and the works of
Uche Okeke will illustrate this book.
Homage to Asele is a group exhibition organized by Pendulum Art Gallery at
the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos from May 23-31, 2003. It will enable the
students of Uche Okeke their own students, and several other artists to show
their respect for this master. These artists who are accomplished in their
own calling have shown commitment towards making this event a success. Some
of them are Professor Obiora Udechukwu, Pro. El Anatsui, Tayo Adenaike,
Chris Echeta, Obiora Anidi, Chris Afuba and Jerry Buhari.
While
all these activities are geared towards celebrating the about five decades
of pioneering work by Professor Uche Okeke, it is also aimed at re-invigourating
the young and still practicing artists and at the same time sensitizing the
society to issues militating against contemporary art practice and
enterprise. To this extent, it is sad that while Art-in-Africa Project and
Pendulum Art Gallery, at the inception of their programme intimated several
organizations by sending proposals to them with collaboration in view; one
of them has responded with hostility, deceit, insincerity and falsehood.
While trying to discredit the programme of Art-in-Africa Project and
Pendulum Art Gallery, this same organization has tried to appropriate the
same programme.
It is
our wish to state that Professor Uche Okeke with all his accomplishments is
an institution that all law abiding and sensible members of the public can
lay claim to. He has transcended the status of the private citizens that any
individual or group of individuals can stake and lay claim to. His artistic
exploits are beyond the politics of kinship and the homestead. The attempt
by some people to claim him in a totalitarian manner at this moment and
cause unnecessary confusion in his 70th anniversary is rude,
dangerous, uncomplimentary and pitiable.
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