Lagos immortalises Rasheed Gbadamosi with art expo

THE inaugural Rasheed Gbadamosi Eko Art Expo with the theme ‘Lagos For All’ will open on Friday, January 27 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Organised by the Lagos State government in honour of the late economist, art patron, playwright and co-chair of the Lagos@ 50 celebrations, Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi, who passed last November, the mega expo will run till Sunday, January 29 and will feature more than 400 artworks and photographs.

Speaking on Saturday at a news briefing on the show which will feature works of master artists, emerging ones and students, the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, who was joined by Governor Akinwumi Ambode’s Special Adviser on Overseas Affairs, Professor Ademola Abass, explained that the exhibition is happening for three reasons.

“People have asked if the government’s support is limited to music and the film industry but this shows that Governor Ambode is serious about using entertainment and the arts generally to grow the state’s economy. It is a demonstration of Governor Ambode’s great vision for the arts and creative workers in Lagos State and his plan to always avail them of space for expression and institutional support from government and Corporate Lagos. This shows that Governor Ambode’s support for the arts is not limited to film and music alone, he also cares about visual arts. ” he said.

The second reason, according to Ayorinde,“is to honour and immortalise the late Chief Gbadamosi, a prominent art patron and co-chair of the Lagos@50 Planning Committee. Governor Ambode thinks we should do much more to immortalise him, so it’s going to be an annual event.”

The final reason, stated thecommissioner, is to add to the build-up for the Lagos @50 celebrations, which started last May and will end on May 27 this year. “It will culminate into a ceremony throughout the month of May, with a grand finale on May 27. We willhave an activity each day for 50 days starting from April 8 till May 27 when we will have a grand celebration,” he said.

Contributing, Professor Abass disclosed that Governor Ambode saw a photography exhibition featuring works of Nigerian photographers last year in Brussels, Belgium and expressed his wish to have the same in Lagos. Consequently, 100 photographs showing different sides of Lagos as a city with the theme ‘Dey Your Lane’ will be part of the Rasheed Gbadamosi Art Expo. Director, African Artists’ Foundation, Azu Nwagbogu, will curate the photography segment.

Another component of the show will be paintings,sculptures and installations by students selected from four tertiary institutions from Lagos, masters and emerging artists. Curator of the segment and owner of Mydrim Gallery, Sinmidele Adesanya, highlighted the significance of the expo.

She said, “This has been a long time coming. What we have had over the years are private individuals growing the visual art industry alone. Music and film appeal to more people while visual arts require intellect; you need to acquire the taste. It is commendable that Chief Gbadamosi is being honoured because he supported artists and galleries. We are grateful to the state government for this initiative. What we will have is an exhibition of young, emerging and master artists. 25 galleries will be participating; they will showcase works in their collections. The government has gone into schools to encourage students to be part of this and it is amazing the kind of talents shown by these students. It will be encouraging for the students to have their works featured.”

The performance aspect of the expo will see Qudus Onikeku’s QDance Centre present a production titled ‘IwaLewa,’ whilethere will also be oral poetry performances by the likes of Akeem Lasisi.

Ayorinde, who described the expo as a“total package’ also disclosed that photographs of Lagos from the 1970s to the present will line the walkway of Eko Hotel courtesy the Lagos State Records and Archives Bureau.

Governor Ambode will declare the expo open on Friday alongside Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka.