Ben Osaghae
An evening of tribute was
organized for the Late Nigerian artist, Ben Osaghae by the Guild of
Professional Fine artists of Nigeria at the National Museum, Lagos on the 30th
of March 2017. The programme was preceded by the renaissance of old relationships
and the invention of new ones in an evening of a creative discourse as
professional artists of diverse forms converged to narrate their various
encounter with the late artist.
As a founding member of the
association and a member of the Society of Nigerian artists, the programme was
held to honour the late artist, appreciate his artistic life and to locate and
situate his involvement in the Nigerian contemporary art world. It was also to
affirm the association’s aim of celebrating Nigerian artists.
Creating an ambience of
reflection was the slideshow of Ben’s works of art that were enveloped with
metaphoric and idiomatic expressions. It took the audience to the immediate
gesture of the artist and positioned the works as an experience rather than
objects of display. The tribute commenced with the arrival of the Obi of
Onitsha who occupied the high seat alongside Mrs Edewor, Jess Castellote, Kunle
Filani and Chie Ede Dafinone.
Dapo Adeniyi paying his tribute
A foremost Nigerian art critic,
Jess Castellote reiterates why he documented the artistic tenacity of Ben
Osaghae; “he was always looking for happenings in the society and always have
something to say. He was a natural artist who liberated himself on the canvas
irrespective of who buys the work. He would work from memory with wonderful
sketches that are so expressive and wonderful. His figures are generally
emotional and are not static.”
Mrs Edewor, a long time collector
of Ben Osaghae’s works described him as a brilliant mind, an intellectual and a
social commentator. With passion, she narrated how she was arrested by the rich
and vibrant colours of Ben’s paintings on her first encounter with his works. “Ben
used colours in such an unusual way and expressed himself in colours,” she
said.
Ben Osaghae was invited to
address the audience through a documentary that was shown by a friend of the
late artist, Dapo Adeniyi. It created a feeling of nostalgia as the late
artist’s room was shown with his paintings that permeates the actual medium and
closed the distance in time between the documentary and the audience’s way of
looking at it.
It is arguably a known fact that
Ben Osaghae has left a significant landmark that is artistically visible,
remarkable and impactful in the Nigerian Contemporary art world. His works have
also gained a new kind of impressiveness in diverse homes and establishments
that they occupy not only because of their content but also because of their new
market value.
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