Tunde Odunlade Arts and Culture Connexions, Ibadan on Thursday opened a new exhibition tagged, ‘Ajowofin Abudaaye’ (encounter with nature).
No fewer than 140 works of art, which include: Erin karele kowajoba (where an elephant was enticed home with bean cake to become king); lake fishing, seven calabash carriers, the bikers, among others, were on display.
The exhibition, which was opened to the public for free on Thursday, will last between July 14 and Aug.13.
Biodun Fagbohun said the painting, which represented the beauty of nature, was to bring people closer to the works of God for admiration.
He said it was to sensitize people that art pieces were good commodities for investments.
“Being a lover of nature and environment, I started drawing, creating, from primary to secondary school and down to higher institution where I studied Arts.
“I have travelled around the globe, hence I used diverse culture and how God has blessed the world naturally in terms of animals, plants and humans to draw inspirations.
“It is to bring people closer to admire nature and environment,” he said.
The Curator of Tunde Odunlade Arts and Culture Connexions, Prince Tunde Odunlade said the essence of the exhibition was to share, connect and interact within the universal ambient of creativity and imagination.
Odunlade said art and culture were the bedrock of a meaningful development in any given society or community.
“Communication is vital and crucial if we must live a united community.
“Art brings people together, it inspires, informs, heals and art provokes good thoughts, art affects and therefore liberates.
“A society without art, has no heart, through exposition of creative ingenuity of this sort, a nation develops and the people benefit immensely towards a greater and better future,” he said.
He said youths were considered to be the targeted beneficiaries in projects like this, because they formed 100 per cent of the future.
He added that beyond the ephemeral, art was a great image launder that had been used to command respect in the international community.
According to him, art serves as a tool for economic emancipation, a pathfinder to sanity and a roadmap to developing a prosperous tourists’ state.
“It takes a high degree of a civilized people to embrace, appreciate and prosper in the opportunities underlying in the culture and artistic richnesses rooted to the people.
“Art is a lie that makes us see the truth” as Pablo Picasso said.
“Art is a product of man intent purpose. A concrete evidence of man’s self expression towards a developed society.
“The position of the gallery therefore, is to create awareness, to sensitize and direct people’s interest towards a more focused and workable agenda, using art as a tool,” he said.
