While growing up in Ipele in the 2000s, I spent a large chunk of my night listening to stories, anecdotes and more from my grandparents. I was just six years old. The stories which are sometimes fabricated are deeply rooted in tradition with most of the highlights being a message to the kids around. The need to be upright, respectful to the elders, eschews stealing and more are always stressed. This was a period I grew up in, only a few children who were born after me had something like this.
In Nigeria, the word elder is a strong word that carries enough respect, not anyone can be regarded as elder. During an art exhibition held at Andakulova Gallery, Dubai, United Arab Emirate by Artboxy, an artwork by Shogo Olalekan Uthman caught my attention, he titled it “Game of Elders.”
It reminded me of my almost forgotten past. The brightly coloured artwork finds four men of different generations sitting, smiling while they adorn themselves with flowing ropes with three of them putting on a turban. The exhibition which was held between November 1 to November 30, 2024 attracted the finest artists around the world. They came from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Nigeria, South Africa and many more.
In this artwork, the artist smartly highlighted the place of elders in the society. Nigeria is made up of more than seventy percent youthful population, what this means is that there is always the need for this youth to reach out to elders for guidance as they attempt to navigate life. Elders in this context could be someone’s father, mother, sister or brother.
Too many poignant messages are underneath this message. One of such is the peasant farmer in the background. The houses are hut, despite all this inadequacy, a broad smile is noticeable across the face of the four people in this artwork. One thing about the passing of intergenerational wisdom is that the process has some techniques. Even when you are wrong and you need correction, they would do this in a smart and more humane way. Mistakes are rarely repeated. The bright colours used by the artists convey a sense of optimism, hope, joy and more. Nigerians have always been a joyous people, despite all the lapses, we still find joy in little things around us. Moonlight storytelling telling as signified by this artwork is laudable.
Beyond serving as a nostalgia, this artwork calls for government attention for the peasant, it also makes a case for the tree planting. The four people sit under a tree, at the tail end of the picture is another tree, this time around, it is smaller in size.
Earlier in 2024, Shogo Olalekan Uthman’s art exhibition at Holy Art Gallery, London during the 2024 Essence Exhibition in September 22 to October 22, 2024 with an artwork named “market day and farm to feed the growing population,” got a lot of tongues wagging, he doesn’t look or sound like someone who is ready to stop. He has continued to draw thought provoking artwork, reminding the audience about the past while emphasizing the imperativeness of the future.
and then