With Invincible Hands, Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art strengthen its role as a learning museum.

Nine Year Old Bride, Peju Alatise, Mixed Media. Image credit: Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art. 

Mathew Oyedele

In recent time, there have been lots of questions around the role, aim and objective of museums; as some museums around the world are either filled with stolen, looted or illegally acquired objects. There have been calls and agitations for restitution, particularly of African objects by historians, critics and art enthusiasts to African countries who are the real owners of these objects. In 2018, Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr and French historian Benedicte Savoy released a study that calls for the restitution of Africa's looted assets and the study sparked debates among European and African art enthusiasts.

 

It was in this timely moment that the Museum of Black Civilizations opened in Dakar, Senegal with the aim of educating and exposing visitors to the role of art from Africa and its contribution to global civilization. In the same period, the Lagos artworld witnessed the establishment of a privately funded university museum that aims to be a learning museum where visitors learn about art and history through art. The red-concrete box museum which officially opened to the public in 2020, is a resource of Pan-Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki and named after Prince Yemisi Shyllon, a strong art collector and supporter of art who donated 1,000 artworks from his huge collection as well as a substantial amount of money towards the establishment of the museum. 

From its official opening to date, the museum has had three exhibitions with the inclusion of the ongoing exhibition. The two initial exhibitions are, 'Making Matter: Materiality and Technology in Nigerian Art' and 'Mirroring the Nation: Art, Society and Politics'. The ongoing exhibition titled Invincible Hands and curated by Olufisayo Bakare is the third exhibition that has been staged by the museum. 

Olufisayo Bakare is a trained interior designer whose artistic passion stems from a combination of nature and nurture. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute of Atlanta and her Master’s degree from Savannah College of Art and Design, both in Georgia. Fisayo is an integral part of the 'Precolonial Societies of Nigeria' program, formulating the teaching manual for the Ile-Ife pre-colonial society.

The Invincible Hands exhibition which features a cross-generational line up of over 36 female artists, aim to recognize, highlight and intensify the impact and contribution of female artists to global art discourse. The exhibition, which is mainly for learning purposes, is made possible through donation of works by artists, loans from collectors and artists, permanent collection of the museum, the University collection and support from Artfriends, a group of people who want to support the arts in Nigeria.

The line up of artists in the exhibition include; Anne Adams, Odun Orimolade, Winifred Ukpong, Peju Alatishe, Olawunmi Banjo, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Ndidi Dike, Nathalie Djakou Kassi, Nmadinachi Egwim, Lucy Azubuike, Peju Layiwola, Amuche Nnabueze, Abigail Nnaji, Anthonia Nneji, Valerie Fab-Uche, Omoligho Udenta,  Ayobola Kekere-Ekun, Chidinma Nnoli, Chigozie Obi,  Fati Abubakar, Wura Natasha Ogunji, Bolaji Ogunrosoye, May Okafor, Nnenna Okore, Ngozi Omeje, Rita Doris Ubah, Nengi Omuku, Obiageli Otigbo, Opeyemi Owa, Amarachi Okafor, Tiwa Sagoe, Damilola Tejuosho, Joy Labinjo, Anthea Epelle, Juliet Ezenwa, Modupeola Fadugba, Taiye Idahor, Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu, Ruby Amanze and Susanne Wenger.

 

One of the works on display is the 2010 mixed media piece titled Nine Year Old Bride by Peju Alatise. The piece delineate a relief of seven figures with rigid fabrics, made possible by the adequate exploration of fabric and resin. Save for the third person, the figures, which are of varying shapes and sizes depict headless female figures in motion. The artist only allows the viewer to interact with the torso and footless leg of the figures. The figures are also depicted in naturalistic poses, facing different directions and in relaxed modes despite the rigidity of the materials with which they are rendered.

This writer made several efforts to speak with the curator about the crux of the exhibition but the curator was uncooperative and unresponsive; she neither responded to his email, replied his chats nor picked his call. 

Jess Castelotte, the Museum Director revealed that the mission of the museum and the exhibition is not to sell but to help people learn; "The mission of the museum is educational; it's a learning museum where people come to learn... The most important thing in this museum are not the artworks but the people who come around, because it is an audience centered museum...The main purpose of thi exhibition is to give visibility and spark the desire to know more about the artists; if we are able to do this, then we have succeeded."

The Vice Chancellor of the University reiterated the mission of the Museum during a meeting with the press: "The University is a part of the wider society. Besides training students, we seek to contribute to the wider society and that is where the museum fits in. We do not have a degree in art or anything like that but we have programs for secondary school students to make them aware of their very rich artistic tradition in Nigeria. The museum also help us in educating regular students here. We do not just want to train people who are familiar with their crafts; we are interested in giving our students a broad vision so as to enable them practice properly as professionals."

Invincible Hands exhibition runs from August 28, 2021 to January 25, 2022.