The day started slowly, as the traffic on the Ajah end was especially horrid. By 3.30pm, the only people in the foyer of the Lagos Business School were family members, students and staff of the School. By 4pm the place came alive and I was swinging high- I was restless and excited at the opening of the exhibition Autobiography and Beatitudes. I also felt numbness and my greatest joy was seeing the works in that wide, white space with high walls and curving walkways. Truly a dream-space for showing! Of course it got better with the added advantage of sponsorship coming from Kenna Partners and the Lagos Business School. My sole preoccupation was about putting up a good show. I had free rein to select the works that would be exhibited. I met some awesome people who, in talking about my works, taught me again to see the works in a new light. I got excited at meeting buyers who connected their purchases with their professional work (for instance Dr. da Silva the pediatric neurologist who bought my Joy of Motherhood, oil and acrylic painting that i worked on till a few days before the show.
My dear friends Obinna, Eugene, Adis made the show very happy. So too, did the others who came. I recall feeling some sadness that a few stars in the Art circles were not there. The exhibition Autobiography and Beatitudes opened on a day that had two other art events-CCA Lagos celebrating their 5th anniversary with an exhibition titled The Progress of Love; and the exhibition Our Resolve, showing works by Olu Amoda et al at Terrakulture, in Victoria Island. Heading to Ajah to see an introvert, reclusive artist did not seem the best way to spend a weekend for the major art collectors. Mr Akaah (of Signature Gallery, Lagos) had come to see the works on Friday, when we were still hanging up works. He bought five works, while Douglas, an old-time friend and alumnus of Nsukka bought two more. From that Friday, I knew things could only get better. I do not want to start counting the number of works that have been sold so far.
I cannot wait to show a centrepiece- the oil colour painting Nativity that has taken me 6 years in painting. That work was so large that I did not find a vehicle to bring it to the venue. Come Monday, the work will be mounted somewhere in LBS, the projected photographs will display properly with my experimental sound God and Man, Area Boy, Revolution Bang and Hunger wars. Then I will rest satisfied. All the time spent organizing this show was not wasted. I did my best, and am still waiting for more visitors to the show.
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