Nigerian officials say foreign cartoons are contributing to cultural dilution among the youth. To address this, the country's National Orientation Agency plans to support the production of more local content, a move experts believe could also create jobs and grow the film industry.
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art. Show all posts
Monday, November 25, 2024
Video - Nigeria pushes to replace foreign cartoons with local ones
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
The world's largest drawing is a love letter to Nigeria
At 1,004.7 square metres — or nearly as big as four tennis courts — Unity of Diversity is a map of Nigeria filled with the country's many different styles of food, dance, music, art, history and more.
It took David six days to draw it in black marker, hunched over in front of a crowd at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, a football stadium in Lagos, in July.
But before he even started drawing, he travelled all over his home country to experience its myriad of cultures first hand.
"It did change me," David, who lives in Lagos, told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. "It broadened my knowledge on Nigeria. It broadened my knowledge of myself, of what I can achieve if, you know, I set my mind to something."
The artwork, done with permanent marker on canvas, broke the Guinness World Record for largest drawing by an individual, previously held by Indian artist Ravi Soni for his 629.98 square-metre drawing, Tree of Life.
Drawing in front of 'the whole world'
David, an artist and medical doctor whose real name is Adefemi Gbadamosi, is known for his speed painting. He says he first got the idea to go for the Guinness record nine years ago.
"I usually paint in front of a large crowd or audience," he said. "I wanted to see what it would be like to paint in front of the whole world."
Over time, he began to realize this piece could be more than a personal challenge. It could be a love letter to Nigerian culture.
But he says that's no easy feat, as there is no single Nigerian culture. The West African country is home to more than 200 million people, from more than 250 ethnic groups, speaking more than 500 languages.
David secured funding from Tolaram, a Singapore-based company that does business in Nigeria, to spend three months travelling the country during this past spring and summer in preparation for the drawing.
"I spoke to the political leaders. I spoke to cultural leaders to learn about these cultures. And then I spent time eating their food, listening to the music, the dance, the ceremonies they have," he said.
"Nigeria is just so diverse, and I fell in love with so many different parts of the country."
Doubled in size
The final piece was drawn over dozens of canvasses stitched together on the field, which took David and his collaborators two days to set up.
Among the imagery depicted are a Yoruba cooking pot and cultural attire; periwinkle sea snails, a southern Nigerian delicacy; Benin bronze work; an Efik dancer, a mask of Queen Idia, historic leader of the Edo people; and the Ada and Abere, the state swords of Yorubaland.
At first, David says, he planned to fill roughly 800 square metre of canvas. But as he looked at the blank pages laid out on the field, he quickly realized it was too small for what he wanted to do.
"So I told everybody to get every single support they had out and increase the size," he said. "We almost doubled it."
Those pieces, he says, have since been dismantled and put into storage.
"It's very big," he said. "We had to cut it up."
David says he's working with his sponsor to create a permanent viewing centre for the piece. But in the meantime, he's just glad to have reached the culmination of nearly a decade of dreaming.
"The people I met on my journey, the amount of time I'd spent as an artist, made this possible," he said. "I feel very relieved and, you know, enlightened and just generally happy."
By Sheena Goodyear, CBC
Monday, August 5, 2024
Artist in Nigeria transforms e-waste into art
E-waste is a growing problem, and finding uses for redundant electronics has been on the minds of sustainability experts for years. However, in Nigeria, an artist is transforming e-waste into unique art pieces.
Related stories: Nigerian artist creates art with oil kegs in effort to reduce waste
Video - Nigerians turning waste to wealth
Thursday, May 23, 2024
Nigeria bans smoking, ritual killings in movies, music videos, skits
The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Tuesday announced that it would henceforth restrict the depiction of smoking, ritual killings and money rituals in movies, music videos and skits.
NFVCB’s Executive Director, Shaibu Husseini, disclosed this in Enugu at a National Stakeholder Engagement on the “#Smoke-Free Nollywood” campaign, which was organised in collaboration with Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).
Mr Husseini said the federal government would prohibit the depiction and glamorisation of smoking, violence, criminal acts, immoral acts, ritual killings and money rituals in Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry.
He said the country faced a film “industry emergency requiring bold and ambitious actions” from parents, guardians, and stakeholders.
“Therefore, after a series of engagements, the NFVCB, in collaboration with CAPPA, decided to make Subsidiary Regulations to address smoking in movies since this aspect was not expressly spelt out in the extant Law.
“Today (Tuesday), I am delighted to announce to you that the Honourable Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, under Section 65 of the NFVCB Act 2004, has approved the “Prohibition of Money Ritual, Ritual Killing, Tobacco, Tobacco Product, Nicotine Product Promotion, Glamorization, Display in Movies, Musical Videos and Skits” Regulations 2024. We have forwarded the approved copy to the Federal Ministry of Justice for Gazette,” the official said.
Mr Husseini explained that the goal was eradicating smoking in movies and skits.
He added, “We will work with the industry to see how we achieve zero, completely smoke-free Nollywood.”
He identified the tobacco industry’s tricks to promote smoking but expressed confidence that the government was prepared to counter them.
Mr Hussein said: “Of recent, we realised that tobacco industries hide under the banner of entertainment to flaunt smoking. The NFVCB is well prepared to take leadership in this regard and has planned and begun implementing innovative ways to achieve its mandate, especially at this crucial time when the National Assembly is insisting that there is “Need to Curb the Rising Spate of Cultism, Trafficking, Consumption of Illicit Drugs and other Substances among Youths in Nigeria”.
“The Board had been urged to undertake detailed enlightenment programs in secondary schools, tertiary institutions, local communities, faith groups and other institutions, as well as impose restrictions on home movies promoting social vices.”
Participants at the event included veteran and top filmmakers, producers, scriptwriters, marketers, and distributors from across the country, such as Zeb Ejiro, Fred Amata, Segun Arinze, Bolaji Amusan, and The Aneke Twins, as well as leaders of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry.
Smoke-free Nollywood
The participants affirmed their commitment to a pro-health Nollywood by signing a pledge to ensure a smoke-free Nollywood.
CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, stressed the need for stakeholders to work towards a Smoke-Free Nollywood in the interest of a healthy future for Nigerian children.
Mr Oluwafemi said, “Shockingly, studies have shown that smoking remains prevalent in Nigerian movies in contravention of the NTC Act and the Tobacco Control Regulations 2019, which explicitly prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorships in movies and entertainment. There is also a clear provision for warnings that should accompany any tobacco depiction necessary for “Historical Accuracy and Artistic Expression.”
“With the power to tell the Nigerian story, shape our future, and build a genuinely productive society, Nollywood ensures that the growing concerns of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria are addressed. Movies and music videos must reverse the role they play in painting smoking and tobacco use as an excellent way of life.
“With more than five million young Nigerians aged 15 years addicted to smoking cigarettes, our job, not just as movie practitioners and industry experts but also as parents, is to rise to the occasion and act right to protect our children and prepare for a smoke-free future. We are at a point where we must stop the glamorisation of smoking and, instead, promote healthy lifestyles.”
In-Country Coordinator of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Michael Olaniyan, who delivered a presentation titled “A Code of Practice for Smoking in the Entertainment and Plenary for Next Steps”, urged stakeholders to be careful not to breach the NTC Act while shooting movies.
He added that the Act demands the prohibition of avoidable/unnecessary smoking scenes, avoidable/unnecessary tobacco use of any kind, glamorisation of tobacco use, tobacco brand marking, tobacco product placements and sponsorship by tobacco companies, among others.
Consensus
The Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC)’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Ali Nuhu, backed the move to rescue “vibrant and energetic youths from the claws of smoking-related and early health challenges.”
Mr Nuhu, who was represented by the NFC’s Director, Public Affairs, Brian Etuk, lamented that most Nigerian youths have become victims of circumstances having taken to smoking habits, with consequential health challenges and damage to body organs.
“We must, therefore, use the power of film/movie to help address the gradual but avoidable drifts that are ultimately life-threatening.”
Concurring, Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke, noted the “incredible influence” Nollywood holds over public perceptions and behaviours and urged film industry professionals to promote public health by making movies smoke-free.
The Alliance Coordinator for the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Olawale Makanjuola, congratulated the NFVCB, adding, “We all know the role film, and most importantly, Nollywood, plays in our culture. For us, there is no better partner than the NFVCB and the creative industry in ensuring our screens remain smoke-free, thereby strengthening our public health infrastructures.”
Monday, February 5, 2024
Tyla's win over Burna Boy and Davido at Grammys 2024 fuels South Africa-Nigeria rivalry
South African singer Tyla's victory at the Grammys, beating four Nigerian nominees, has fuelled the rivalry as the two nations prepare to face off at the Afcon semi-finals on Wednesday.
"South Africa won today but Nigeria will win on Wednesday where it matters most" one user wrote on X.
Tyla won for her song Water in the Best African Music Performance, over Davido, Arya Starr and Burna Boy.
Nigerians have called on their national team, the Super Eagles, to avenge them.
"No Nigerian won a Grammy, but a South African won. This is Nigerians being generous so that when we win them in AFCON, they will have something to banter with," another user wrote on X.
Nigerian Afrobeats giant Burna Boy was nominated in a total of four categories but did not walk away with a golden gramophone, yet his spellbinding performance at the award ceremony left the audience in awe.
Despite the fierce rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa, Davido extended his congratulations to Tyla on X and told her to "keep soaring".
South Africa was also represented by comedian Trevor Noah who was at the helm of the prestigious award ceremony as he was hosting for a fourth time.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Video - Artist Creates AI Fashion Show for Elderly in Nigeria
Images of African senior citizens walking the runway created a buzz on social media, eventually going viral. These AI-generated pictures challenged the typical depictions of elderly Africans, showcasing them in an empowering way. Karina Choudhury has the story. Camera: Samuel Okocha.
Related stories: The NFT Craze Is Helping Nigerian Artists Go Global
Digital art thrives among crypto-curious Nigerian artists
Germany has agreed to return Nigeria’s looted treasure. Will other countries follow?
Thursday, July 6, 2023
Video - Salsa teacher helps to dance the blues away in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the power of dance is being used to battle mental illness and the stigma attached to it. Men and women in the capital, Abuja, are coming together to attend free weekly salsa lessons for those battling trauma and depression … or even just to keep fit. Al Jazeera’s Michael Appel reports.
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Seun Kuti released on bail
A Nigerian Afrobeat star facing trial on charges of assaulting a police officer will embark on a delayed concert tour after being released on bail, his manager said Wednesday.
Seun Kuti, who was in court on Wednesday, has concerts scheduled in more than a dozen countries but his departure had been on hold because of the trial, his manager Ayo Moses told The Associated Press.
The son of Nigerian musical icon and political agitator Fela Kuti, who himself was serially detained by Nigerian military regimes, Seun Kuti had been held for more than a week after he was caught allegedly assaulting a police officer in Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos.
At Wednesday's court hearing, the presiding judge ruled that it was the public prosecutor – not the police – that had the power to prosecute the musician. The judge then adjourned the case until a further hearing on July 3.
"He is on bail and as a responsible citizen, he will continue to enjoy his rights because he is presumed innocent," Femi Falana, his lawyer, said after the hearing.
Viral videos appeared to show an agitated Kuti shouting and pushing the officer along a major road in Lagos last week. It is still not clear what caused the confrontation, though Kuti alleged the officer in question "tried to kill me and my family."
While he was in detention, the police searched Kuti's house, causing an uproar among some Nigerians and his lawyers. But Benjamin Hundeyin, a spokesperson for the Lagos police, defended the search as necessary and approved by the court.
"In the course of our investigation, we stumbled on certain suspicious things that needed to be proven/disproved beyond reasonable doubt," Hundeyin said without providing further details.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Video - Nigeria Football Legend Jay Jay Okocha Set For Animated Series Adaptation
Nigeria soccer legend Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha is getting animated.
A reimagining of Okocha’s childhood in Nigeria will be the basis of African streamer Showmax’s first animated series, Jay Jay: The Chosen One.
The virtuoso midfielder Okocha played for the Nigerian national team between 1993 and 2006 and let the country to Olympics soccer glory at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
His show will run to 13 episodes and follow an 11-year-old Augustine who dreams of representing his school at a prestigious football tournament with a team made up of his rag-tag group of friends. Along with his passion for soccer, he loves the animal kingdom, which bestows superpowers on him in return for his fight against illegal poaching.
The series is voiced by a Nigerian cast, led by Prince Unigwe (Glamour Girls, Samson in 2nd February) playing Jay Jay. Also cast are veteran actor Chinedu Ikedieze (Aki and PawPaw, The Johnsons), Samuel Ajibola (The Johnsons); pro-footballer turned actor Eric Obinna, Tinsel actress Mena Sodje, Lexan Peters and Pamilerin Ayodeji (The Father).
It’s already been quite the week for animated soccer series, with Deadline revealing yesterday Argentinian legend and 2022 World Cup winner Lionel Messi is getting the toon treatment at Sony Music Entertainment.
Besides Okocha’s exploits for Nigeria, playing in three World Cups and gaining 73 caps, he had successful spells for Fenerbahce in Turkey, PSG in France and Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League. He also played in Germany and Qatar and retired back in the UK in 2008 after playing for Hull City. He is considered one of the most skilful attacking midfielders of all-time and is considered by many as Nigeria’s greatest ever player.
“I’m honoured to have an animated series that reimagines my childhood,” he said. “Jay Jay: The Chosen One is going to bring back good childhood memories as well as inspire young children who have dreams to be football players. I’m excited about the show and grateful to Showmax and the production team who worked hard to bring it to life.”
Nihilent Limited is producing Jay Jay The Chosen One in partnership with the production studio 5th Dimension as well as animation studio I-Realities.
For Showmax, the series is a first animated effort. The streamer said the show would “give Nigerian children of all ages the opportunity to see themselves represented in animated form which is positive, humorous and educational” and “enchant and motivate kids across our continent through fantasy adventures as well as the power of sport.”
“Not only is Jay Jay: The Chosen One another locally inspired Showmax Original, it marks the beginning of our adventures in animation,” said Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Showmax and Connected Video at MultiChoice. “This is a show we believe will find audiences globally and shines the spotlight on yet another world-class African achiever that we hope will be enjoyed by kids and the entire family.”
LC Singh, Nihilent Limited’s director and Executive Vice Chairman, said, “I always knew that creating a sports-based animation series for kids would be challenging and rewarding at the same time. The amount of work that goes into every single frame is immense, but seeing the final product come to life makes it all worth it.”
The news comes a week after Showmax owns MultiChoice teamed with Sky and NBCUniversal to launch a new Showmax-branded group. The service will be relaunched at a later date, powered by NBCU’s Peacock streaming technology and combining MultiChoice’s investment in local productions with international content licensed from NBCU and Sky, as well as third party content from HBO, Warner Bros International, Sony and others, and include live English Premier League football.
By Jesse Whittock, Deadline
Related story: Jay-Jay Okocha inducted as Bundesliga Legend
Friday, February 3, 2023
Artist from Nigeria turns flip-flops into portraits
Eugene Komboye, a Nigerian artist, is turning discarded plastic flip-flop sandals into colourful portraits in an effort to help clean up the environment in a country where plastic pollution is prevalent.
What started as an assignment in college in 2017, has become a full time job for Komboye, whose studio in the city of Abeokuta in the southwest state of Ogun now trains aspiring artists who want to follow in his footsteps and create flip-flop portraits.
Nigeria produces at least 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, according to government figures, with some of it finding its way into the ocean and rivers.
Flip-flops are the footwear of choice for many Nigerians and
Komboye, 30, sources his material mostly from dump sites, landfills and river banks. Back in his studio he disinfects and washes his findings before cutting them up and pasting them on a board to create a face on each one. Some customers come to his studio with photographs which he will use to create a personalised portrait.
By Seun Sanni, Reuters
Related stories: Video - Changing Face of Nigeria’s Art Scene
Nigeria artist creates art with oil kegs in effort to reduce waste
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
Video - UK returns stolen Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
A London museum is returning its collection of 72 Benin artefacts - the first institution in the UK to do so on such a scale. British soldiers stole thousands of artefacts in the late 19th century from the Kingdom of Benin, which is now in Nigeria. In recent years, museums in Germany, France and the US have repatriated artefacts looted during colonial wars.
Related stories: UK Museum Agrees to Return Looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Germany has agreed to return Nigeria’s looted treasure. Will other countries follow?
Nigeria to build new museum for looted art
Friday, November 18, 2022
Nigerian artist creates art with oil kegs in effort to reduce waste
Distraught at the thought of adding waste to sprawling dumpsites in a city where only a small fraction of rubbish is recycled, Adeyemi turned them into faces that have become a trademark of the artwork.
She cuts off the top of the keg and paints it, using the handle as a long nose and the round screw-top opening as a mouth.
The colourful masks then become the heads of the protagonists in her paintings, on which she uses materials such as fabric and string to add texture and dimensions.
"Instead of me just painting the face, I wanted something that I can feel, something that can look real... that will look real to others," Adeyemi told Reuters in her studio.
The 20-year-old marketing student has exhibited twice in Lagos. Some of her pieces have sold for over $1000, she said.
Through her work, Adeyemi also hopes drawing attention to her mother's discarded oil kegs will raise awareness about waste reduction.
"Whenever she is throwing them away, it affects us and it pollutes our environment," she said, noting that re-using the kegs was a way of "stopping the pollution".
Reuters, by Seun Sanni
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Digital art thrives among crypto-curious Nigerian artists
Video - Changing Face of Nigeria’s Art Scene
Germany signs deal to give ownership of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Friday, November 11, 2022
Video - Returning the Benin Bronzes of Nigeria
The Benin Bronzes, arguably some of Africa’s priced treasures; looted from southern Nigeria's Benin Kingdom by European powers, have begun their long journey back home. Could this be a start of a process that could see the return of the remaining looted artifacts? We will find out in this week’s program.
Related stories: Germany signs deal to give ownership of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Nigeria receives stolen artifacts repatriated from the U.S.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Nigeria receives stolen artifacts repatriated from the U.S.
The artifacts were received on Tuesday from the U.S. Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African Art by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, H. E. Zubairu Dada.
The Nigerian government has been among many African countries that have been pushing for the return of stolen African artifacts to their countries of origin.
Hundreds of the historic objects are on display in foreign countries despite repeated calls for them to be given back.
Most of the artifacts were stolen from their countries of origin during the colonial period.
Earlier this month, Nigeria offered to loan the artifacts back to countries that would agree to the repatriation request.
“Many museums are responding positively, and it is the right thing to do for any museum of a country because you cannot illegally take artifacts away from their original place, display them in your museums,” the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Abba Tijjani, said.
By Jerry Omondi
Related stories: Germany has agreed to return Nigeria’s looted treasure. Will other countries follow?
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Germany to return 1,130 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, said Tuesday Nigeria has signed an agreement with Germany for the repatriation of over 1,130 looted Benin Bronze artifacts back to the country.
Mohammed disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Washington DC after three museums in the U.S. repatriated 31 Benin Bronze artifacts to Nigeria.
He commended the German government for that effort, adding that Nigeria is also getting positive response from France and Mexico to return some of its stolen artifacts.
In 1897 during a British raid on Benin, the royal palace was torched and looted, and the oba (ruler) was exiled.
The British confiscated all royal treasures, giving some to individual officers and taking most to auction in London.
The estimated 3,000 objects eventually made their way into museums and private collections around the world.
The minister said the world had seen that it was an ethical and moral issue to return the artifacts back to their owners, noting that it is not a matter of law as claimed by the British Government.
“This is important for the British Museum to understand and for the British Government to know, because I was also in the British Museum to ask them to return thousands of the artifacts in its custody.
“The standard response is that until the British Parliament changes the status, they are not in position to so do.
“The U.S. and Germany are now seeing that this matter is not of law but of morality, it is about doing the right thing. I hope that the British government will also learn from the two countries and do same,’’ he said.
According to him, Nigeria is planning to sign an agreement with the British government on November 28 to return about 86 other artifacts from various museums in UK.
The minister said the campaign of the current administration for the return of and restitution of Nigeria’s looted /smuggled artifacts from around the world, which was launched in November 2019, is yielding positive result.
He said in January, Nigeria and the U.S. signed the bilateral cultural property agreement to prevent illicit import into the U.S. of some categories of Nigerian artifacts.
“This agreement solidifies our shared commitment to combat looting and trafficking of precious cultural property while also establishing a process for the return of trafficked cultural objects, thus reducing the incentives to loot sites in Nigeria.’’
Oba of Benin hails US museums
In his remarks, the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, commended three U.S. museums for the repatriation of 31 Benin Bronze artifacts, which were violently taken away from the Royal Palace of Benin by British forces in 1897.
Oba Ewuare II, who was represented by his brother, Aghatise Erediauwa, said the decision of the Smithsonian is now being emulated by numerous other Museums around the world who had continued to hold onto heritage art.
“The accepted narrative is that works which were looted or acquired in ethical ways should be returned to their places of origin,’’ he said.
By Emmanuel Elebeke
Vanguard
Related stories: Britain open to loan Nigeria stolen art
Germany has agreed to return Nigeria’s looted treasure. Will other countries follow?
Friday, August 26, 2022
Germany signs deal to give ownership of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
British soldiers took hundreds of bronzes - intricate sculptures and plaques dating back to the 13th century onwards - when they invaded the Kingdom of Benin, located in what is now southwestern Nigeria, in 1897.
The artefacts ended up in museums around Europe and the United States. African countries have for years fought to recover them.
Germany returned the first of the sculptures to Nigeria in July.
On Thursday, the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage (SPK) and Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) signed a deal transferring their ownership from the Ethnological Museum collection in Berlin to Nigeria.
The agreement, which the SPK described as the most extensive transfer of museum artefacts from a colonial context to date, covers 512 objects which ended up in Berlin in the aftermath of the 1897 looting.
The first objects will be physically returned to Nigeria this year. About a third of the treasures will remain on loan in Berlin for at least 10 years and exhibited at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. The loan might be extended.
"This represents the future concerning the artefacts issue; a future of collaboration among museums, a future of according respect and dignity to the legitimate requests of other nations and traditional institutions," said NCMM's Abba Isa Tijani.
He urged museums outside Germany to emulate the agreement.
French art historians have estimated that some 90% of Africa's cultural heritage is believed to be in Europe. African countries have long sought to get back works pillaged by explorers and colonisers as Western institutions grapple with the cultural legacies of colonialism.
Earlier this month, London's Horniman Museum said it would return 72 artefacts, including 12 brass plaques, to the Nigerian government, following a similar move by a Cambridge University college and a Paris museum last year.
German Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth said it was an example for museums in Germany with colonial-era collections and that further agreements would follow in coming months.
By Madeline Chambers
Reuters
Monday, August 8, 2022
UK Museum Agrees to Return Looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria
A London museum agreed Sunday to return a collection of Benin Bronzes looted in the late 19th century from what is now Nigeria as cultural institutions throughout Britain come under pressure to repatriate artifacts acquired during the colonial era.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in southeast London said that it would transfer a collection of 72 items to the Nigerian government. The decision comes after Nigeria's National Commission for Museums and Monuments formally asked for the artifacts to be returned earlier this year and following a consultation with community members, artists and schoolchildren in Nigeria and the U.K., the museum said.
"The evidence is very clear that these objects were acquired through force, and external consultation supported our view that it is both moral and appropriate to return their ownership to Nigeria,'' Eve Salomon, chair of the museum's board of trustees, said in a statement. "The Horniman is pleased to be able to take this step, and we look forward to working with the NCMM to secure longer term care for these precious artifacts.''
The Horniman's collection is a small part of the 3,000 to 5,000 artifacts taken from the Kingdom of Benin in 1897 when British soldiers attacked and occupied Benin City as Britain expanded its political and commercial influence in West Africa. The British Museum alone holds more than 900 objects from Benin, and National Museums Scotland has another 74. Others were distributed to museums around the world.
The artifacts include plaques, animal and human figures, and items of royal regalia made from brass and bronze by artists working for the royal court of Benin. The general term Benin Bronzes is sometimes applied to items made from ivory, coral, wood and other materials as well as the metal sculptures.
Increasing demand for returns
Countries including Nigeria, Egypt and Greece, as well indigenous peoples from North America to Australia, are increasingly demanding the return of artifacts and human remains amid a global reassessment of colonialism and the exploitation of local populations.
Nigeria and Germany recently signed a deal for the return of hundreds of Benin Bronzes. That followed French President Emmanuel Macron's decision last year to sign over 26 pieces known as the Abomey Treasures, priceless artworks of the 19th century Dahomey kingdom in present-day Benin, a small country that sits just west of Nigeria.
But British institutions have been slower to respond.
Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Information and Culture formally asked the British Museum to return its Benin Bronzes in October of last year.
The museum said Sunday that it is working with a number of partners in Nigeria and it is committed to a "thorough and open investigation" of the history of the Benin artifacts and the looting of Benin City.
"The museum is committed to active engagement with Nigerian institutions concerning the Benin Bronzes, including pursuing and supporting new initiatives developed in collaboration with Nigerian partners and colleagues," the British Museum says on its website.
BLM inspires museum to 'reset'
The Horniman Museum also traces its roots to the Age of Empire.
The museum opened in 1890, when tea merchant Frederick Horniman opened his collection of artifacts from around the world for public viewing.
Amid the Black Lives Matter movement, the museum embarked on a "reset agenda,'' that sought to "address long-standing issues of racism and discrimination within our history and collections, and a determination to set ourselves on a more sustainable course for the future.''
The museum's website acknowledges that Frederick Horniman's involvement in the Chinese tea trade meant he benefitted from low prices due to Britain's sale of opium in China and the use of poorly compensated and sometimes forced labor.
The Horniman also recognizes that it holds items "obtained through colonial violence."
These include the Horniman's collection of Benin Bronzes, comprising 12 brass plaques, as well as a brass cockerel altar piece, ivory and brass ceremonial objects, brass bells and a key to the king's palace. The bronzes are currently displayed along with information acknowledging their forced removal from Benin City and their contested status.
"We recognize that we are at the beginning of a journey to be more inclusive in our stories and our practices, and there is much more we need to do," the museum says on its website. "This includes reviewing the future of collections that were taken by force or in unequal transactions."
Related story: Nigeria to build new museum for looted art
Friday, April 29, 2022
Video - Nigerian artist turns waste into creative pieces
Nigerian artist Blessing Ibiye uses scrap metals and disposed of tyres to make creative pieces that earn him a living.
Wednesday, September 22, 2021
Nigerians offer artworks to British Museum in new take on looted bronzes
A new guild of artists from Nigeria's Benin City has offered to donate artworks to the British Museum in London as a way to encourage it to return the priceless Benin Bronzes that were looted from the city's royal court by British troops in 1897.
Created in the once mighty Kingdom of Benin from at least the 16th century onwards, the bronze and brass sculptures are among Africa's finest and most culturally significant artefacts. European museums that house them have faced years of criticism because of their status as loot and symbols of colonial greed.
The Ahiamwen Guild of artists and bronze casters says it wants to change the terms of the debate by giving the British Museum contemporary artworks, untainted by any history of looting, that showcase Benin City's modern-day culture.
"We never stopped making the bronzes even after those ones were stolen," said Osarobo Zeickner-Okoro, a founding member of the new guild and the instigator of the proposed donation. "I think we make them even better now."
"Part of the crime that's been committed, it's not just ok, these were looted, it's the fact that you've portrayed our civilisation as a dead civilisation, you've put us among ancient Egypt or something," he said.
The artworks on offer, unveiled in Benin City in a ceremony attended by a member of the royal court, include a 2-metre-by-2-metre bronze plaque with carvings representing historical events in Benin, and a life-size ram made entirely from spark plugs.
Asked to comment on the offer, the British Museum said only that it was a matter for discussion between itself and the parties offering the objects.
Zeickner-Okoro, who travelled from Benin City to London this month partly to advance his initiative, said he had a meeting coming up with curators from the museum's Africa department.
While Germany has said it wants to return Benin Bronzes from its museums to Nigeria, the British Museum, which houses the largest and most significant collection of the items, has stopped short of making a clear commitment.
It says on its website that its director, Hartwig Fischer, had an audience with the Oba, or king, of Benin in 2018 "which included discussion of new opportunities for sharing and displaying objects from the Kingdom of Benin".
But many people in Benin City see no justification for European museums holding onto loot.
"They must bring it back. It is not their father's property. The property belongs to the Oba of Benin," said bronze caster Chief Nosa Ogiakhia.
Zeickner-Okoro, who grew up partly in Britain before moving back to Benin City, acknowledged that the Benin Bronzes' presence in European museums had allowed them to reach a global audience. But he said they should now return to the place and the people that created them.
"The descendants of the people who cast those bronzes, they've never seen that work because most of them can't afford to fly to London to come to the British Museum," he said.
"They have these catalogues, PDF copies of the catalogue from the British Museum, which they use to reference the work of their ancestors, and I think it's so sad."
By Tife Owolabi and Estelle Shirbon
Related stories: The NFT Craze Is Helping Nigerian Artists Go Global
Friday, June 25, 2021
Digital art thrives among crypto-curious Nigerian artists
At only 29, Nigerian pop-artist Osinachi has sold paintings on Microsoft Word for several thousand euros, or the equivalent amount in ether, a cryptocurrency often used to buy digital art.
One of his works, Becoming Sochukwuma, shows a black dancer wrapped in a tutu made of African fabric, dreadlocks tied in a bun, swirling on a computer screen.
But what makes the painting truly unique is its endorsement with an NFT (Non-Fungible Token) -- a set of data stored in a blockchain that is used as a certificate of ownership.
The digital painting was sold in April for $80,000 worth of virtual money on the crypto-art market, a growing business in Africa's most populous country.
Worldwide, NFTs, which serve as a unique identifier, have reassured collectors when buying online art and propelled digital artists to stardom. Between January and May, NFTs generated around $2.5 billion worth of transactions according to the website NonFungible.com sparking the interest of global auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's.
Osinachi's pieces have done very well on this emerging market and in just a few months the young man has become the most famous African crypto-artist.
He was already using Microsoft Word to paint when he was at university but "gallerists didn't care about digital art" until recently, he told AFP.
It was in 2017 that he discovered he could sell his artwork directly to buyers using a blockchain - where a record of NFT ownership can be stored.
In the past six months, as crypto-currencies and NFTs have boomed, digital art like Osinachi's has thrived.
"Now, galleries are after him," said Oyindamola Fakeye, creative director at the Center for Contemporary Art in the country's cultural capital Lagos.
"He has a very positive influence on other African digital artists."
Blockchain, cryptocurrency, NFTs, are terms that are no longer foreign to Osinachi, who spends a lot of time in person and online explaining what they are to other artists.
Many creative minds and entrepreneurs in Nigeria are inspired by his success.
It's a "revolution in the art space", said fellow crypto-artist Niyi Okeowo, whose afro-futurist work combines photography, 3D and graphic design.
Nigeria has about "a hundred" digital artists, Okeowo says, and "most have been inspired by Osinachi".
With its large, youthful, creative and connected population, the West African nation has "the potential to lead" when it comes to NFTs, Osinachi believes.
"We have plenty of talents here. The creative energy in Lagos alone is baffling among young people."
Nigerians are also fond of cryptocurrencies, contributing to the success of NFTs.
In times of economic crisis, with a devalued naira, a growing number in the country are chosing to invest in digital currency.
Last year, more than $400 million were exchanged in cryptos, making Nigeria the third-largest user of digital money worldwide, behind the US and Russia, according to Statista, a German company specialising in market and consumer data.
Entrepeneur Uyi Omokaro was an early believer in the potential of NFT in Nigeria.
This month, he launched Wearmasters, a platform to sell Africa-made NFT art, where he hopes to bring on some of Nigeria's most talented emerging artists like 23-year-old painter Daniel Pengrapher
"Our ambition is to give them international visibility through NFT."
For now, NFT collectors are few in the country. One of them is Michael Ugwu, director of a digital studio in Lagos.
"I'm one of the only ones," says Ugwu.
He started investing in cryptocurrencies in 2017, after several devaluations of the naira, before discovering his real passion: the crypto-art market.
"The traditional art space can be a little bit snobbish," said Ugwu. On the crypto-art market, he says he "found a community, so welcoming, so interactive".
He owns about "a hundred" NFTs he says proudly, but he also considers them investments.
Ugwu has used NFTs as insurance to obtain loans on the crypto-finance market, a process that would take months in the traditional banking system.
Ugwu remains confident, despite recent crypto crashes that automatically devalue his collections.
"Most of my friends think that I'm crazy... Let's wait and see in 10 years."
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