“I actually started my studio in Ketu and you
know the way it is, the role of space in every artist life. The particular
apartment was a rented one, then, you also have to start imagining the
loggerhead and confrontation from the owner of the house, I mean the Landlord.
The Nigerian landlord as we all know, especially in Lagos is a cantankerous
personality, you hardly can predict him.”
“Ayobola Street? I know the place! Let me give you the description of
how to get there.” retorted a motorcyclist who plies his bike as a means of
transportation in Adura community, a semi-urban settlement in Alagbado, one of
the outskirts of Lagos. This community is where established artist, sculptor,
teacher and environmentalist, Adeola Balogun lives. Motorcyclists and their
motorbikes keep screeching so fast one after the other, every rider is so
aggressive and a risk taker to earn quick bucks before the Muslim prayer call
time. The environment is a quiet one for creative minds to hide, as echoes of
people in a chit-chatter could be heard afar off. Though not a tarred road but
the network of roads is motor friendly, yet, on a rainy day, some of the roads
could be messy.
House no 11, stands gigantic in the midst of a well layout street in a
creamy colour. This is the place where the artist and a descendant of war
generals, Adeola Balogun hides and evolves those wonderful experimentations all
the time. He is always very busy, he had confessed to this reporter few years
ago that he felt like hiring a driver to ease him off his tight schedules. “I
have been in my study since 4am, trying to clear some of the backlogs of work
on my desk. An artist coven is always
different from everyone in his environment. He has invested wisely, despite,
being a prince and a home-grown native of the place. His ancestors hold the
stool of Ota kingdom. “My uncle is the present custodian and head of our
kingdom in Otaland.
Environment and Space
Some peculiar observations are noticeable in the house such as the
doors and their pattern. The designs resonate some of the exhibited works from
the Ants and Giants show, he had in 2011 at the Quintessence gallery in Lagos.
Another observation is the height of the doors. They are Trojan like, more
higher than the Golan Height in Syria. A solid duplex and tastefully furnished
with the artist’s works strategically arranged as part of the interior decor.
Art oozes from every corner of the home made from heaven. “I actually started
my studio in Ketu and you know the way it is, the role of space in every artist
life. The particular apartment was a rented one, then, you also have to start
imagining the loggerhead and confrontation from the owner of the house, I mean
the Landlord. The Nigerian landlord as we all know, especially in Lagos is a
cantankerous personality, you hardly can predict him. Questions always arose
such as “Mr Man, what are you turning my house into? Please, this is not a
welder’s shop, I hope you know that?” I started investing my time, energy and
resources to get a place of my own. Due to the ideas and long term dreams, I
started investing in this project. This place is simple but well managed. I
told my Architect what I wanted and we worked on the design together, being an
artist myself. It was a memorable experience for me. I run the studio at the back
of the house. I have a studio assistant and interns working with me. We move
the game together here. We required some space and we got it. It’s one of many
life’s lessons for me that if you desire something great to bring out the best
in you, then, put all efforts to get what you want to suit your needs. Due to
negligence, we seem to forget that the body mechanism also have a special
attach to richness of the mind. A good atmosphere brings incredible creative
outputs in humans. He affirmed.”
Adeola Balogun as an artist needs little or no introduction in the
visual art environment. For someone who grew up in a home and among the people
who are known for their metal artisanship, he remembers his first art teacher
in school, who gave him the first assurance and conviction of where the young
Adeola belongs. “Uncle Bola was my art teacher in my secondary school and he
nurtured my naivety to bravery and was able to convince my folks how I should
be managed. He affirmed I should study art related courses, because he believed
I will surely do well in such area.” Since then, the family contributed to the
young artist development with countless prizes he won in the art. He is a
moving train and his works and career life as an artist, sculptor and teacher
cannot be undermined. The artist public commissions are so impressive and the
works are scattered massively and lavishly all over Lagos. Check out the
impressive list, the statue of Funso Williams, standing mightily at the Funso
Williams Avenue, Lagos, statue of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, on Allen Avenue
Roundabout, Ikeja and the statue of Brigadier Samuel Ademulegun in Ondo State.
Madam Efunroye Tinubu’s bust situated at the Union Bank foyer, Marina, the
Ijamido statue and fountain, Osi quarters in Ota, Ogun State are some of the
public projects of the great and hard working artist who started winning awards
in 1992 at the Card Award for Best Life Drawing Student in Nigeria.
A Mercurial Journey
From his Visual Symphony exhibition, his debut, Adeola has gone to
give us some of the most incredible solo performances the world has ever seen.
Opening our mouth in agape with groundbreaking sculptural pieces and
experimental art in recent time at his exhibitions, have truly proved that the
art teacher is a world class artist. From his debut rhythm, Visual Symphony at
the Chevron space in 1996, five more solo efforts have poured into our
exhibition pool, such as the 2004 Egungun Masquerade: A Source of Inspiration
for Metal Sculpture exhibited at Ekwenwan Campus, University of Benin. The
November 17, 1966 born artist did not quit there, rather, these were the
preparatory stage for the sculpture maverick when he opened another solo
exhibition titled The Seed Phenomena at SADP Gallery, Yaba College of
Technology, Lagos, in 2006, and then the world started to take notice of the
art prince who revel in sculpture grandeur. He moved ahead to bag his MFA in
Sculpture at the University of Benin, Edo State. His professional experience in
art practice as a teacher at the prestigious Yaba College of Technology, Lagos,
one of Africa’s most prominent art schools and being a culture producer cum
manager, makes him an authority in the genre and have given fillip to
experimentation from the versatile artist in his contemporary touch and
creations. Infinite Patterns and Forms brought Adeola Balogun a new power
appreciation on his prowess, as he experimented on non-biodegradable objects
such as tyres and rubber to express his mind on contemporary environmental
issues. They serve as metaphors in his experimentation journey.
The artist has been known for his exposition of art using abandoned
objects and non-biodegradable tyres to make his creations in mixed media forms,
installations and sculpture designs. In his artistic statement in Infinite
Patterns and Forms: An exhibition of Exploratory Body of Works at Nike Art
gallery, Lagos in May 2010, “I embarked on experimenting with used and
discarded tyres by cutting and shredding with all sorts of tools manual and
powered, such as axe, cutlass, knife, angle-grinder and more. The choice of
tyre is not only because of its abundant availability as a non-biodegradable
material, which is a plus for a potential visual art medium, but as a pointer
to the irony of lack, amidst plenty, which prevails in our society. He has
seriously opened our eyes and one of the very few to use their art to expose
the societal problems and the ills in order to find a lasting and committed
solution to varying world problems that are plenty from different approach.
Such commanding titles as Ripple Effects, Treasure Within, Benevolence,
Mutation, Law of Attraction, The Diamond Within and more done in mixed media,
metal installation were exhibited in Infinite Patterns exhibition in 2010.
This experimentation, singlehandedly, gave the artist his art command
sceptre that he deserved. He actually rode in to Nike Art Gallery, Lagos, and
the venue of a class performance exhibition in 2010. He remains a great tutor
on his art with the most recent, the last two solo exhibitions, Ants and Giants
at the Quintessence and Soundspiration at the Omenka gallery in 2011 and 2014
respectively. “The awesome size of whales and elephants, protective armour
shell of tortoise, flamboyantly coloured feathers of peacocks, ingenuous
engineering skill of termites and spiders in the construction of anthill and
web respectively and other innumerable wonders in nature, one cannot but marvel
at the superior intelligence behind these phenomena.” These are added messages from
the artist Ants and Giants exhibition at the Quintessence in 2011.
A Library
and the Artist
The Ghandi’s memoirs and collections get displayed conspicuously in
one part of a three monster shelves, contesting for attention are also array of
works from different writers and publishers such as Breaking the Jewish Code by
Perry Stones, The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav, The Men’s Health: Hard Body
Plan, The Power of Focus and many more, such as religious books and spiritual
devotion publications on grace in self-meditation, and yoga lessons and
benefits, aside entertainment magazines and tabloids such as Mode Men and
OVATION magazines. Adeola Balogun’s study is a comfort zone for mind developers
and world influencers. In a beautiful world of his own, the artist presence and
commanding attributes are visible so much in his library that also doubles as
his head office. The study is an expansive room garnished with illustrious
publications from serious to the mundane, they are also well arranged for any
bookworm.
Day by day, he starts his day here after his ‘yoga’ practice, Adeola
recoils into the library to run his daily itinerary. Teachers always learn
twice. “Research, read and invest in yourself are part of my life philosophy
and I keep telling my students year in and out. I just finished reading the
“Americanah” a book written by Nigerian born novelist, Chimamanda Adichie,
because I am the only person in the house that hasn’t read the work and when I
came back from my trip, it was the first book I divulged. As an art teacher, I
know what it means to be refreshed by continuous searching for knowledge,
because this is where wisdom hides. An idea flows easily from an up to date
artist than one who rely mainly on his talent. There is always that uniqueness
in delivery, when education plays a major role in an artist life.” The best
graduating student in Yabatech in 1994 takes his students on a continuous soul
searching expedition through participating and visiting art exhibitions,
seminars and art workshops, in order to broaden their knowledge and have a
wider scope on what the art business is all about. “Some of them come here on
internship and to experiment on their own forms. They are always part of me all
the time. I allow them to gain access to my library and study, because I was
also given that opportunity” he explained.
Turning
Your Own Tune
Dedication is a tool so important in the career life of an artist. “I
hardly rely on sponsorship, they delay your mission statement and whatever you
are trying to come out with. They even distort your research mien. I would
rather work on self-motivation, trying to get acquaint with modernity and what
is obtainable in my area of profession. These are also part of the whole
library set up and other communication tools around me. For me to have come
with those experimentations using non biodegradable tyres as a metaphor, shows
the world is changing on thematic approach and I don’t want to be left behind.
I invested in the power of re-inventing one’s mind and its paying off. I got
the invitation from Abu Dhabi, due to my experimentation of tyres being
non-biodegradable property and simply, because my career path tallies with the
kind of issues, they are trying to address out there in what was titled,
“Upcycled Art Festival: Patterns of Unity”. It is a good touch for any artist,
whatsoever, the genre, to be moving his art to another level. Hardwork,
dedication, self-motivation, research, reading and investing in oneself have
always been part of my curriculum for me and my students, because the artist
easily gets astray on little success and a flourishing career gets nose-dived!
Practice makes perfect. The artist must be at alert to inform and educate
through his art, forms and themes. Adeola Balogun’s new direction has made him
a special act to watch from his connecting societal and environmental issues
with mixed media arrangement of his creations right from Infinite Patterns,
Ants and Giants and the last show entitled Soundspiration. One beautiful
attraction is the ability of the artist to measure up his art creations on
mixed media and non-biodegradable tyres with social commentaries through prose
and essays. “At a certain time in one’s life, there should be a particular
measurement in measuring a man’s worth. What would you want to be known as? It
is the duty of the artist to seek education in whatever form to sell, teach and
make an impact to the society. We have so many contemporary issues from global
issues such as economic problems, inflation and governance, civil strives to
environmental issues like global warming, flood, air pollution and other issues
begging for attention. Using some of the abandoned materials invented out of
natural resources, and other living elements such as animals and plants,
including musical instruments are the ability to think outside the box in my
career journey.”
The Falcon’s Benevolence.
Adeola Balogun participated in
the first Upcycled Art Festival, at Art Hub Liwa in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab
Emirates for a residency program titled “Patterns of Unity.” The festival was
organised between the months of April and May. The primary aim is to gather and
attract artists and innovators with an environmentally conscious mind coupled
with a ‘Go Green’ inspiration with a focus on the oil and gas industry,
targeting maintenance, operations and constructions. “I got the invitation
online and I was given all the logistic and traveling arrangements based on the
quality of my existing theme that I have developed overtime and which also
genuinely suit into the theme of the festival.
The residency program is dedicated to the process of converting useless
products into magnificent visual and functional art and all eco-friendly
creations.’’ In the statement of the organisers, “using waste materials and
turning them into something more than what they had represented earlier adds to
the concept of recycling. Transferring the idea of sustainability from trash to
art is one of the fundamentals of upcycling art.’’ An underlying idea of the
festival is to use art to link cultures from all over the world and bridge the
gap between oil and gas industries, nature, people and communities. The concept
of the festival evolved due to the fallen out of certain materials in
consumerism, such as plastic, paper, wood, metal, glass and in a country of oil
and gas, people and communities often feel disconnected from the universal
values of nature.
“This is not my first residency, I have been to Sweden earlier in the
year and other places, but this happened to be a unique invite that I really
enjoyed. Liwa is a city created for artists to live, create and exhibit, opened
by one of the citizens simply known as Ahmed. We were 13 artists drawn from
majorly from different part of the globe, international artists known for their
extraordinary up cycled artworks including sculpture and applied arts. I
happened to be one of the two Africans at the residency and I came up with 18
works before the end of the program with materials sourced from used objects in
the oil and gas sector that could be found in the middle east to make different
connections with the traditions, culture, norms and values that associated with
the people of the region. Such fascinating cultures and stories somehow may
sound fable-like, but very true.
The falcon to the people of Middle East is an amiable bird and its
chivalric disposition has been documented in the annals of history among the
people of the Middle East and mediaeval Europe. Before the oil boom era in the Middle
East, the people and the natives have a symbiotic relationship with the falcons
and up till today, the relationship and friendship between human and falcon in
the Middle East still stands based on mutual trust. Historically, falconry was
a popular sport and status symbol among the nobles and generally a culture of
the Middle East.
The birds still live and feel relax on the arms and shoulders of the
men of the Middle East. They serve their masters through thick and thin by
scavenging for food for the men whenever they are tired and burnt out in the
desert. This is a culture that is part of the Middle East chequered tradition,
so special and still holds till today in the history and literature text of the
Middle East. This is also reminiscent of Adeola Balogun’s metaphoric admiration
of animals and their natural instincts of benevolence theory compared to man in
his Ants and Giants exhibition in 2011. Some of Adeola’s works at the residency
include, After the Falcons, Drape, Exploration I, II, III, Heritage I and II.
Story/ Ireho Aito
Photographs courtesy Adeola Balogun
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