Finalists emerge in 4th Next of Kin art contest

The grand finale of the juried art contest and exhibition will feature 10 upcoming artists, with the winner getting a one-month residency and a solo show.

FINALISTS have emerged for the fourth edition of the ‘Next of Kin’ art competition and exhibition organised by the Thought Pyramid Art Centre. The annual juried art contest gives upcoming talented artists a platform to grow and showcase their works.

The 10 finalists who emerged after a rigorous screening exercise are Falope Ibrahim, Aladejare  Ayodeji, ChidimmaNwafor, Jiboku Adebayo and Adenitan Daniel. Others are Adeyemi Julius, Solomon Olaotan, Obeka Simon Edoh, Ademola Ojo and Victoria Bolu Lawal.

The exercise commenced when Thought Pyramid Art Centre called for submission of entries from upcoming artists with not more than eight years of practice in October 2021. Organisers deliberately expanded the years of practice from the previous five to enable more talented artists to participate.

On March 27, works of the 10 finalists would be displayed at the grand finale happening at Thought Pyramid Art Centre,  Ikoyi, under strict Lagos State Covid-19 protocols.

In separate chats, some of the finalists shared their experience of the selection stages. Ojo said each of his works represents ‘Ori Olokun’, the Ife bronze head. He recalled how on completion, he suddenly realised “the prism of my fear before the works were finally created.”

Olaotan, a sculptor, had some challenges in producing his works. “I sustained an injury while welding the metals,” he said, adding that “lack of light also affected the flow of time producing the works.”

One of the two ladies in the competition, Victoria Lawal, lamented how lack of materials inhibited her. She disclosed that the inadequate materials impeded her intention to execute her works properly. She eventually got over it and produced satisfactory pieces that earned her a spot in the final.

Ayodeji explained that part of the problems of packaging his works was when he ran out of materials. “I struggled to get more when a friend assisted me.”

Whatever Edoh went through in creating his entries for the event seemed to be of less worry as he was optimistic that the show would boost his career.

Earlier, the organisers inspired the young artists at the preview with guest speakers Sam Ovraiti, Duke Asidere and Abolore Sobayo sharing their thoughts on the challenges of being an established artist.

Sponsored by Nigeria Machine Tools and TrustBanc Group, ‘Next of Kin Series-4’ finalists’ selection was juried by artists Sam Ovraiti, Abiodun Olaku, Fidelis Odogwu and art critic Tajudeen Sowole.

“’Next of Kin’ is an annual juried art project in competition and exhibition format that contributes to the development of fresh artists in Nigeria,” Director of Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ovie Omatsola, stated. “This is the fourth in the series where a new generation of artists are supported and mentored at the initial stages of their careers where it matters most.”

Omatsola recalled that previous editions had uncovered young artists including Anthonia  Nnneji, Christian Allison and Ikechukwu  Ezeigwe. After emerging winners of the three different editions, the artists’ works have climbed the ladder of art appreciation in Africa and other parts of the world over the years.

Expanding on the ‘Next of Kin’ vision, Omatsola said it looks out for artists who possess artistic originality and creative disruptiveness with transcending futuristic abilities and traits. The success of ‘Next of Kin’, the director said, lies in the unearthing of such talents.

The winner of the fourth edition of the competition will get a one-month fully-funded art residency/sponsored solo exhibition by Thought Pyramid Art Centre, which goes beyond art sales and promotion of domestic art to encouraging and empowering Nigerian artists.