Curator urges Nigerians to patronise arts for preservation of heritage

Curator, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, Dr. Amos Olorunnipa, has stressed the need to encourage artists and promote their ideas to the whole world. Speaking as the Chairman of the Three Art Tentackles Exhibition at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Olorunnipa stressed the need for the preservation and protection of the nation’s heritage for now and future generations.

“African art is a great article that is above all others. An Art of sculpture and its chief subject is human being. They tell of places, communities and the religious rites and chiefly of the forms of African Art. It is a whole world of masks and figures.

“African art is a great source of inspiration to us in Africa and the world as a whole. It is our way of exercising power that man and society would wish to own, our way of expression, the creative solution to the problem,” he said.Also speaking, Curator of Museum, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Pogosson, said art, which is the pride of Africa, binds the peoples together.

He added that art is a product of inner self and immediate society. He urged the artists to keep on with the good work.The Three Art Tentacles comprises three artists — Bola Opadiran, Bolaji Aremu and Kolawole Joseph — who came together to form an art group.

Opadiran called on the government to explore the potential in artwork, saying it is worth millions of dollars.On his part, Aremu called on the policy makers and the government not to kill art talents in the youth. He urged the government to make provision for them and give jobs to those interested in art.The show, which held at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, had paintings, sculpture and mixed media works.