Art and nature – The artistic works of Aisha Tukur Buratai

I have loved Arts from when I was very young but sadly I can only admire, manage or encourage creative works of the painting inclination. I am not yet able to paint but time will tell. But I enjoy art pieces.

Those who create them have my full admiration because when someone can create from imagination, like writing, films, paintings, and unusual photography then I am bought over. This is the case with Miss Aisha Tukur Buratai whose solo maiden exhibition comes up in Abuja. 19 years old and an undergraduate in a Nigerian University, Aisha delivers a deft collection of works aptly titled Art and Nature: A hint of yellow.

A self-taught Artist whose interests are landscapes and nature, she paints mostly in yellow and red. I asked her why the sun seems to be reflected in a lot of her work and she said it just seems to brighten everything while water which appears in several other pieces is a symbol of peace.

Her interest in climate change, deforestation, and environmental degradation is reflected in at least four signpost paintings wherein one the entire world is living on a floating island because the world as we know it has been destroyed by man and the sun as we know it is now a peachy orange.

Deforestation is a painting with splashed green and cut down trees. The mystery man with a blindfolded man in a red and black striped top is the symbol for all, where anyone’s face can be the face of the mystery man. I am drawn to a painting that has splashes of different coloured paints.

Aisha tells me this piece is titled My brain with a chuckle. That’s my creative brain she says, with bright coloured strokes and sometimes it can be dark. A small portion has some dark paint. Everywhere is bright and well splashed.

Two paintings have two women with fabrics as part of the painting and gorgeous black paint depicting their completion, colourful flowers painted in their hair. What are these called, I asked, as she gave me an advance tour of the upcoming exhibition.

African Queen one and two she replies with a smile. So what is your inspiration for painting and you learned this all by yourself? My painting depends on my mood. Although I paint more when I am sad. You sit and focus and forget about everything else, she responded.

Above the paintings are a collection of cute photographs on canvas. You are also a photographer? Aisha smiles. Yes, she says. It’s all intertwined. Buses, abstracts, and beautiful other interests. Photography and painting can often go together.

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Interestingly Aisha Tukur Buratai is studying Biotechnology. You heard right. A science student. Well apportioned in the middle of paintbrushes, oil and canvas, and frames. So what time of day do you paint, your favourite time to paint. Anytime she says laughing. It depends on my mood.

How long does it take you to paint one piece? I could spend a couple of hours she says or it can take days. I look at two horses on a large framed painting. One is a red background and the other is on a red background. Night and day she says nodding in their direction.

The huge painting of a large leopard stares at me. I feel as if it can actually see me. A few hours? A couple of days? To paint this massive leopard with huge yellow eyes? I give a great salute to Artists. Just by a stroke of a brush, the world comes alive.

For a Biotechnologist turned Artist, Ms. Aisha Tukur Buratai, we celebrate you and other Artists like you. The world is your oyster. From this maiden solo exhibition, we wish you well. Congratulations! May many more come your way!