Lagos, art on Saturday from 5pm to 7pm

"Democracy or Kleptocracy" by Jelili Atiku

The end of a Saturday afternoon is a propitious time for art exhibition to take place, when people are done with their shopping and other work related obligations. Besides, for outdoor set-ups the sun paints everything in gold.
A performance took place on the parking lot of Kia showroom on Akin Adesola in Victoria Island, where four artists in residence at the Arthouse foundation were presenting their works (Dipo Doherty, Tyna Adebowale, Olumide Onadipe and Jelili Atiku). The performance was created by Jelili Atiku on the theme of "Democracy or Kleptocracy". He was the center of the show, dressed as a woman in a beige linen dress with high-heel shoes, an afro wig and fake breasts. Before the show began, he was sitting on a white cube while a make-up lady painted his lips in deep red. He then, at the pace of a ritual, walked slowly from the center of the parking lot to take beige linen clothes printed with "Democracy or Kleptocracy" and hang them on a rope positioned along a white wall. Men too were asked to pick clothes and hang them to the rope.

Jelili Atiku in "Democracy or Kleptocracy"

He was wearing a badge of the Party for the People with a logo representing a white leaf of cannabis on green background. He explained that he was dressed as a lady in homage to their positive role in the society: "because they do so much".

Lady bathing at night, Dipo Doherty

There was also a vernissage by an artist called Raqib Bashorun. He is making inspired sculptures from metal scrap, but also wood compositions. He explained that wood was his primary work media when he came back to Nigeria about 12 years ago because that did not require to have permanent access to electricity (NEPA, the electricity company is covering only a small portion of the supply needed by the country) to arrange and polish his wooden pieces. Nowadays, he is probably able to afford a generator because NEPA is still providing a minimal amount of power but he is producing a significant portion of sculptures in metal.

"Growth" by Raqib Bashorun

"Fertility" by Raqib Bashorun

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The Ogiamien family in Benin City: about wood and history

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no hawkers allowed on kingsway

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Nigeria, the land of plenty

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