Is Ibadan Art worthy of tourism attraction?

Ibadan which houses the gallery of World’s Best Artist, Olugenga Akande, at Awolowo Avenue, Bodija Ibadan. Ibadan, as a city of arts, is proving millions of people wrong; those holding the belief that Art is not a lucrative business in the 21st century, and those believing that science and technological discoveries have relegated the place of art in the modern society.

Starting an art tour at Mokola- Round-about axis, I saw many wood carvings of different expressions in a store besides the Police station. In the front of the art store with a name, one is taking back to memory lane to a tropical African shrine where confession must to be made.

Leaving for Dugbe, inside the Heritage mall owned by Odua Investments, there is an Art gallery known as Paddy Arts on the ground floor. This is the store one has to pay a token to have one’s portrait in one’s hand in less than twenty minutes. This pencil on paper is done by at least five artists. This is to please those difficult to please.  On the wall display, there are different paintings, pencil drawings and oil on canvas of different styles, especially of past African heroes, such as; Mandela, Awolowo, among others.

In size, I discovered the smallest art gallery in Ibadan known as Kentai Arts Store (KAS) located at Oke-Bola but entering into the gallery I saw raw geniuses hidden away in Ibadan. In conversation with the twin artists in charge; Kehinde and Taye Bada, they discussed how Art saved them from madness, poverty and unemployment. Taye disclosed ” art gives life to me, without art, I could have not survive. I regard myself a success because I’m in love with what I do.”

While appreciating a piece named Abiku, Kehinde said “it is the last of its kind”, referring to the art work, “we most cases make art work out of literary inspiration. To me, the business of art in Ibadan is lucrative. Ibadan is a home of creative art works, such as; craving, oil on canvas, painting, ceramics, calabash designs among countless others. Art is business and business is art. ” he concluded.

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