PERCEPTIONS ON THE VISUAL ARTS

PERCEPTIONS ON ART

While growing up, I wasn't really interested in my environment, but I was more concerned with people. Why people act the way they do which I later found out was called PSYCHOLOGY.
I just loved to observe sad faces and happy ones and find out what makes them either. I was concerned with the poor neighbours that had to struggle to eat three square meals a day, while we even ate 4 or 5 everyday. Maybe that was what made me big. I was concerned about the neighbour's complaint of NEPA outage because we were the caretakers with the constant generator use at night while those who didn't have suffered the noise and air pollution from it .
I was concerned about my classmates who were not the teachers' favorite because they were slow learners, hence considered weak.
I observed that our teachers then familiarized with the smart and the rich so to either gain favour from their parents and give them extra lessons. Ironically, they smart got smarter and the dull got duller. That is the unfortunate state of the education system of my dear country Nigeria!
Well, I got too interested in people's lives that I suddenly started seeing abnormal lifestyle in school.
I got to meet adolescent gays, paedophiles and assaulters. All my observations about life, why people grow fat and identity, made me start writing and drawing stories as early as age 6. I wish I could still find those stories now. How time flies. My mum built a library for the storage of books. It was really cool and all my antiques were still intact until I got home one day from the boarding house, saw how the numerous books made the house so unkempt and I burnt them - the ones I considered irrelevant-! I can vividly remember how my mum screamed that day! Her mixed feelings. The pain of losing her hard earned money and the joy of a clean house. I didn't really understand what I had done until right this minute.
Somehow, I knew I had something for the Arts, but I had always wanted to be a paediatrician because I felt I understand people especially kids. While in the junior secondary,
I met Aunty Esther Ochiji, A Christian Corper then in St Bridget's College who believed in my artistic ability and gave me full support. Later on in senior secondary, I met Mrs Morah and our low cut art teacher who made art so exciting for us that I almost neglected other subjects. Afterwards, the energetic Delta Corper, Aunty Anita, came with her textile swag which got me so madly in love with textile engineering. We made mufflers and tapestries and cloth prints. I love for art still grew till JAMB refused me admission that year. That particular defeat made me lose interest in everything including arts .
 After two years, I got admission to study arts in Nnamdi Azikiwe University. My passion suddenly swerved from textile to sculpture. I just loved working with clay. Gradually, the passion for art history grew uncontrollably that the only place I wanted to specialize in was Art history. The only reason I can carve out of this is that, I stopped practising drawings and paintings and started reading art related stuff's more. My mates beat me in the practical skills that I thought all hope was lost for me.
Unfortunately for me, there was no art history to specialize in. My favorite art teacher Mrs ZUKY advised me to do what I first loved which was textile, people at home and UCHAY Joel Chima encouraged me to do painting that it is beautiful'
A masters student in school, Mr FREDDO tried to groom me and encourage me never to give up on painting because that would be where I will find my true self.
Most times I wondered what it truly meant to find oneself. Not even close friends and family knew what I was passing through inside. I felt really defeated inside of me. I just couldn't draw or paint anymore. I lost it totally!I just suddenly became a dessert that even a flood causing rainful could moisten.
In the midst of all these, I didn't forget God but I didn't pray to him either because I just couldn't. I kept questioning him and blaming him tirelessly. I always told my mum to pray for me.


Today, the story is no more like it was 6 months ago. I am not a genius, neither am I a professional; I have seen reasons to continue to struggle to draw and paint. I have seen successful women in Art and am greatly inspired especially by Anthea, whom I met in Uchay Joel China's studio.
I have had priceless advices and lectured from the international artist UCHAY himself.
I have met beautiful souls like the crazy Mr Ejoh Wallace, the wise Mr Olaku and the ever generous and kind chairman, Pastor Babatunde of the Universal Studios of Art, Orile - Iganmu, Lagos.
I don't wish to become great and famous and rich and a genius like Leonardo Da Vinci of whom I share the same birthday with, neither do I wish to dine with Kings and priests like Michaelangelo la Buorronatto of whom I read voraciously on in " the agony and the ecstasy " before I appreciate these amazing people in my life.
My generous Godmum who habour me like her own daughter, my siblings, uncle besio and Ginoks, aunt UkAmaka and the rest, who in one way or the other are financing me or still are. Thank you so much.
 I have come to realize through Mr Olaku and Mr Kenny that art is spiritual and an artist can never survive without the supreme being.
I learnt from Mr Ejoh that without constant practice and craziness, you are not an artist yet
And from UCHAY Joel Chima, that studying voraciously and looking good will take you places in the art world.
I have also learnt from Mr Babatunde that the act of speech and manner of approach is very important in life after my brief misunderstanding with Miss Oluwafunke, an intern with Mr Olaku.
Life, is full of endless lessons and my 6 months I.T here in Lagos has taught me alot already and has changed my perspective about Art .
From today henceforth, I pledge allegiance to Art with all my heart.