The ‘light called Obaro’ still shines

On May 19, 2024, family, friends and fellow students were shocked over the untimely death of one of their own, Onome Obaro Ufoma Umuokoro.

While still bearing the pain of her loss in their minds, the friends of the late 25-year-old student of Law School Abuja, decided to immortalise her with a posthumous art exhibition.

The one-day exhibition entitled, ‘A light called Obaro,’ with the theme, ‘Insanity and madness as a result of grief’ reflects the grief of a group of her classmates at Law School Abuja.

As well, the posthumous exhibition, which was held on December 19, 2024, at the Adam and Eve Homeware Store on Isaac John, Ikeja, Lagos, was in fulfillment of the dreams of the late Onome, who was also an artist.

Before passing on, the young and enterprising Onome was at the cusp of becoming a lawyer as she was studying at the Nigerian Law School, when she succumbed to death following a brief illness.

‘‘The exhibition is dedicated to completing and showcasing the artistic vision of Onome Umukoro, who had been planning this event before her untimely passing,’’ her group of friends that organized the exhibition, noted.

Speaking further, the group noted that the theme, “Insanity and Madness as a result of Grief” reflects Onome’s exploration of deep emotional and psychological landscapes through her art. Therefore, the one-day exhibition serves as a tribute to her talent, creativity and reflects her personal journey.

However, the exhibition lived up to expectations with rich collections on display including; Canvas Art – a collection of Onome’s paintings and mixed media pieces; Photography -photographs taken and curated by Onome, highlighting her perspective on the theme and Digital Art-Digital creations that Onome was passionate about, showcasing her ability to merge technology with traditional art forms.

The exhibition featured, ‘‘Memorial Section – a dedicated space within the exhibition to share Onome’s story, writings and the impact she had on her community.

Of course, there was also a guest book station where visitors shared their thoughts and memories of Onome through artistic expression and creativity.

Speaking at the exhibition, Diben Dodo, her law school classmate, recalled speaking to Onome while she was still working towards the exhibition.

“When we were in law school she was trying to multitask whilst also dealing with work. A few weeks later she decided to put preparation on pause as the workload was starting to intensify.

“I really do not blame her especially because it was not the most conducive environment for an artist to strive and there are not many sources of inspiration in law school talk-less of Bwari,” Dodo said.

“After Bar 1, at this point she had still been on a break from creating. My family had a barbecue and whilst Onome was there, I saw a moment when she was looking at one of our pet peacocks and staring quite intensely at it but at the time I didn’t think too much about it.

“The next day I saw a message from her and it was just a photo with no text. I opened it and it was this beautiful drawing of four peacocks and I was just stunned and realised in that moment at the barbecue her mind had already begun creating. She had that eye that looked at things in their totality, she was a great artist. It is not surprising that people gravitate to her so much because she offered a unique perspective basically every time.

“Whilst the art that surrounds us are Onome’s expressions and creations, they are extensions of her, and are also her. As you are seeing the art, you are also seeing Onome. Just as art is subjective, the internal conversations we will have with Onome while viewing her art are also subjective and personal based on each person’s unique connection with her,” Dodo concluded.

On her part, Aribim Bristol, co-organiser and post graduate student, expressed delight at welcoming Onome’s friends and family as they all celebrate her incredible legacy.

“This event served a twofold purpose: showcasing her remarkable artistry and fulfilling her long time desire to host her very own art exhibition. Since her passing, countless people have shared stories of how she inspired and touched their lives—a testament to her enduring impact.

“Onome was a visionary, excelling as an artist, lawyer, writer, and philanthropist, with dreams of creating meaningful change for everyone around her. The UMK Foundation, which is a foundation her friends and family will launch in her name in the new year, will carry her passion for uplifting young people and helping them fulfill their creative dreams. Special thanks to everyone who made today possible—your support means the world,” Bristol said.

Ufuoma Umuokoro, father of the late Onome was also excited for the posthumous honor, saying “I think we have been able to make her proud today”.

“Yes she was an aspiring lawyer who also combined as an artist. She was a painter specifically. She had always wanted to organise an art exhibition in Lagos December this year when death snatched her away from us. She died in a hospital in Abuja. She was doing very well as a student of law and had passed one of her examinations prior to her death,” he said.

According to him, Onome was a very humane person, who also connected deeply with people and cared about the success of everyone. “She worked to help people. The organizers of this exhibition met at the law school in Abuja to plan this event. This shows deeply how she was connected to her friends and the society at her level. The exhibition gulped a lot of resources to make it great. It implies that Onome impacted deeply on her friends,” the grieving father said.

Meanwhile, alongside the exhibition, a foundation was launched in her honour, which is named; The UMK Foundation.

‘‘The UMK Foundation aims to support young people with terminal or chronic illnesses by providing financial assistance for their artistic endeavours and medical bills.

‘‘The foundation will foster a nurturing environment where creativity can thrive despite health challenges, offering a platform for self-expression and healing through the arts,’’ the group explained.

The foundation will support; visual art, animation, photography, music, sculpting, fashion, dance and writing, while hoping to partner with similar organisations with shared vision in empowering young creatives.

It will also carry out outreach to hospitals to identify and support young artists with chronic or terminal illnesses as well as support young people in general.

The one that touches the heart is organising art events at hospitals to provide therapeutic engagement for patients; offering scholarships for the arts and offering scholarships to young talents for pursuing education and training in various art forms.