Nigeria requires arts and culture in national integration - Onobrapkeya

small arts pieces that can be acquired by everyone, from Bruce Onobrakpeya.

 

 

Bruce Onobrakpeya explaining some points on his arts, and forthcoming exhibition, in Victoria Island Lagos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bruce Onobrakpeya explaining his arts works

 



Arts

Lagos, Nov. 25, 2013. A renowned artist, Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, has said that Nigeria is in the threshold of change in orientation and national integration and requires arts and culture to depict the evolution.

Onobrakpeya said in Lagos on Monday that it was an integral part of every society and that Nigeria had a lot of resources to harness in arts.

He spoke at the preview of his forthcoming exhibition titled ``recent experiment”, which would hold at the Temple Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He explained that the exhibition would highlight the progress, challenges and ideas of arts and culture in the country, saying that arts and culture had become “continuous living for the people”.

Onobrakpeya said that the time had come for Nigerian arts and culture to be rated among the best on the world stage.

He said, “Unity through the arts is a critical ingredient for the development of the country. We have a lot to be harnessed in the area of arts.

“An art is a thought and creating it gradually for it to tell a story and send a message to the people is very vital.

``Nigerian arts and culture need to help enhance national integration and speed up national development.”

According to him, Nigeria requires a type of art that will reflect its ongoing effort to achieve a meaningful development and cultural identity.

Mr Ifie Sekibo, Managing Director, Heritage Bank, sponsors of the exhibition said that his organisation would continue to support the promotion of arts and culture for the development of the nation’s economy.

The curator, Mrs Sandra Mbanefo-Obiago, said that ``curetting this show has been a true adventure for me.

``Every time I go to his studio, I am amazed by increasing number of new works which show an artist who is reaching the pinnacle of his career at past 80 years of age”.

Onobrakpeya (81) will be exhibiting 63 works of arts in various medium, Wood, wax, metal, paintings on canvas and others.

He is the founder of the Bruce Onobrakpeya foundation, (BOF) at Agbahra-Ottor, Delta state where he hosts various artists each year and lecture them on arts and various medium.

One of his works was sold for N9.2 million in 2007.