VISUAL ARTISTS CAPTURE SOYINKA IN DIFFERENT STROKES

An exhibition of paintings capturing various aspects of the life of the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has opened at the Freedom Park, Lagos.
Coming as part of the Legend Series created by Olu Ajayi, the exhibition is part of the Open Door Series and International Cultural Exchange celebrating the 80th birthday of the legendary writer.
It had earlier travelled to Abeokuta, Ogun State, where it also engaged students of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic who painted portraits of the laureate based on their perception of him.
Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, members of his cabinet and many other stakeholders had witnessed the opening of the series held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto Abeokuta.
The Ogun State Government is a major sponsor of the Open Door Series powered by Alhaji Teju Kareem-led ZMirage, Lagos.
But the current phase of the exhibition in Lagos is presenting works of veteran artists such as Ajayi and Emmanuel Adejumo. They capture Soyinka in different moods, even though his physical features have a way of giving him out no matter how maverick the artist is.
But if the elder artists’ impressions will make the art enthusiasts reflect more about Soyinka’s personality, drawings by some pupils from Osogbo, Osun State are likely to amuse many visitors to the exhibition. In their ‘creative innocence’, they sketch the subject in ways dthat present different shades of his eyes, hairs, beards and more. The few lines that some of the pupils drop alongside the drawings, however, show that they understand and appreciate Soyinka’s essence as a leading writer and human rights champion.
But Ajayi, who recalled that the Legend Series had featured the likes of Professors Bruce Onabrakpeya and J.P. Clark, believes that there is always a connecting factor even when people look at Soyinka from different perspectives.

“There is a relationship between the ways people see him,” he said. “Whether it is adults that are giving their impressions or children, however they see him, you would still be able to say, ‘This is the man.” 


Source: Punch