‘AREWA?’: Pushing against stereotypes with art

Northern Nigeria, commonly regarded as a homogenous entity, is in fact a multi-layered region with rich arts and cultures. The AREWA project and maiden exhibition attest to this as well as spotlight the creative ingenuity of artists, who are changing the narratives in the region with their works, writes Obinna Emelike.

On July 8, 2024, some artists from the northern part of the country made bold statements that are going to leave a lasting impression on the burgeoning Nigerian visual art landscape.

The artists, about 40 of them, who are all contemporary artists and all from Northern Nigeria, are engaging the visual art space with their positive energy in ‘AREWA?’, an unarguably anticipated exhibition of the year.

These generations of artists have been on spotlight for a week now at the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA) of Pan-Atlantic University Lagos, showcasing over 80 artworks, across different media; paintings, textile, ceramics, metal, wood, photography, poetry and film.

From the masters such as; Jerry Buhari, Jacob Jari, Tonie Okpe, Blaise Gundu and Nura Garba to upcoming ones like; Mark Rwang, Maryam Maigida, among others, there is enough creativity on display.

Others include: Jimoh Akolo, Fati Abubakar, Williams Chechet, Aisha Augie, Imran Tilde, Dhlimi Munza, and Kaltume Gana, among others.

The ‘AREWA?’exhibition, a seemingly ‘north meet south’ project, enables the artists to take on a variety of subjects and identities in their respective works, with the goal of engaging viewers beyond perpetuated stereotypes and cliched narratives about Northern Nigeria.

Simply put, the artists are pushing against stereotypes in the north with their art in this exhibition.

Of course, the bold statements by the artists wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration of YSMA that is showcasing the works, Africa No Filter that provided the grant and Aisha Aliyu-Bima, the curator of the exhibition.

Taking visitors on a journey across the northern Nigerian visual art landscape at the opening day, Aliyu-Bima, a writer, photographer, researcher, and activist with keen interest in Northern Nigeria social anthropology, explained that the northern part of the country has a lot to offer in art considering its huge cultural heritage and an array of very creative artists, but has not been able to create mush awareness of its art and heritage potential due to stereotypes, which the exhibition hopes to address.

“Northern Nigeria is commonly regarded as a homogenous entity, but it is a multi-layered region, we have rich arts and cultures that attest to the creativity and innovation of our people.

“So, this exhibition is not only offering a nuanced tour of the North, but also explores the region’s modern history, evolving physical and socio-cultural landscape, identities and its significance within the broader Nigerian and African discourse,” Aliyu-Bima explained at the opening.

The exhibition is segmented in sections for easy exploration by visitors, especially those who visit on their own, the curator noted.

Heritage, History and Royalty:

While hosting visitors in the section, Aliyu-Bima noted that the most recognizable symbols of Northern Nigeria are on display in the Heritage, History and Royalty section.

Explaining further, she said that royals are often the custodians of cultural heritage in Northern Nigeria, hence, some of the biggest patrons of art. According to her, the most enduring images of Northern Nigeria are often associated with royalty.

The section features works depicting the festivals, such as the classic durbars, the competitive Argungu festival, the Tuk-Ham festival, among others. It also parades works on the regality and magnificence of royals and their warriors, to the architectural adornments often found in palaces.

The works in the section also include those highlighting the rich artistic history of NokTerracottas, Attarkar Pottery and exquisite artisanal crafts, some of which have risen to global heights.

Women section:

This special section highlights the works of the women artists, not to differentiate, but to really spotlight and amplify their voices.

The women section is very special, according to the curator, because “women are often the subject of many artworks, yet their voices and works are often secondary, even in contemporary art”.

Moreover, the visitors are welcomed to this important section by a tough poem on the wall by Fakhriyyah Hashim, a northern poet and activist.

The poem uses vivid imagery and irony to depict the searing rejection of the societal standards and limitations set upon women.

The poem is a symbol of the renaissance of Northern women, according to the curator.

Some of the works here are by female artists, including Maryam Maigida, while The Widow, a painting, stands out in the section.

Conflict section:

The curator regretted that Northern Nigeria has a complex history marked by periods of conflicts that has been declared a definitive identity for the region, often by external players.

In line with the above, works in the Conflict section confronts the realities of these conflicts head-on, the effects of climate change and how it has exacerbated tensions and accelerated culture loss through the works of the artists themselves, reflecting the social and political anxieties of the regions.

Explaining Mark Rwang’s paintings entitled ‘Farmer, Herdsmen and the Baby Boy’; the curator noted that some of the main characters of these conflicts are placed in a sort of dialogue to address themes of displacement, violence and the search for peace.

As well, that children and women suffer the most during conflicts, hence the artists are calling for dialogue and peace with their works.

Abstractions section

Moving beyond cultural representation, and the dominant aesthetics, the Abstract section is a study on the use of abstraction in Northern Nigerian art, as an often touted idea is that Northern artists are drawn to abstraction due to cultural and religious limitations on figurative work.

Although a cliché, it is true that abstraction has a rich legacy in the artistic production of the region, considering the many works on display in this section.

Through forms, colours and textures, master artists such as; Professor Jerry Buhari, Jacob Jari, Tonie Okpe, Blaise Gundu and Nura Garba, showcase their creative ingenuity in the section.

The abstract works take on contemporary issues through an outstanding exploration of material that pushes boundaries and challenging traditional norms.

Also, in the New Visual Languages presentation, Zaynab Iliyasu, a northern poet, enthralls visitors with her poem titled ‘On How to Knot a Tongue’.

Speaking at the opening, Maryam Maigida, one of the exhibiting artists, expressed her excitement over the opportunity to showcase her work alongside art masters in Lagos and to a wide audience of art lovers, collectors and art-friendly corporate organisations.

“Coming to Lagos for this exhibition is like a breath of fresh air for my work and career. I love this project and long to participate in more in the future,” Maigida said.

Aisha Augie, another artist, felt the same. She thanked the YSMA for offering her the opportunity to express her art and to connect to another level in her visual art career with the exhibition.

She is also happy to represent her region, as a woman, in a positive light.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Yemisi Shyllon, the sponsor of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), described the exhibition as a huge feat for the northern Nigerian visual landscape because of its ability to push against stereotypes that have prevented the region from optimizing its art potential.

Considering that the region is the home of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, which used to be the foremost training ground for visual artists in the country, Shyllon noted that most of the great artists in the country today passed through the university and they are from southern part of the country, while most northerners were held by the stereotype that art is idolatry.

He commended the organizers of the project for the bold statement they have made with AREWA?, while urging them to do more in order to create more awareness of the creative ingenuity of the artists in the regions.

Also, Olugbile Holloway, director-general, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, who graced the opening, commended the quality of the works on display, the quality curatorial inputs of Aliyu-Bima, the YSMA for offering the platform that gathered everyone in one place, while reiterating the support of the commission for projects like AREWA?, which he said is a good way of creating awareness of Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, preserving them and also supporting the visual art practitioners.

Now that the exhibition is open, Michael Oseghale, manager of the Shyllon Museum, is inviting the public and art lovers to visit to see the works and listen to the contemporary stories that are shifting stereotypical and harmful narratives within the North, Nigeria and Africa.

Aliyu-Bima is also inviting viewers to come and look deeply into the works, in order to find many points of commonality and wonderful stories. “While this exhibit focuses on Northern Nigeria, it also seeks to create more pipelines between the art practitioners in the North and the mainstream art space in Nigeria, Africa and beyond; and to bring important issues like cultural preservation in an ever-evolving world to the fore,” she concluded, signaling that the AREWA? project will continue even after the exhibition at YSMA.

Once again, the exhibition, which opened on July 8, 2024 at the YSMA, will run until October 2024.