YemisiShyllon’s art foundation commends Wild, arts history scholar

AdeolaOgunrinde

Founder of OmobaYemisiAdedoyinShyllon Art Foundation, OYASAF Prince YemisiShyllon has praised Johanna Wild for her successful completion of fellowship programme at OYASAF. Wild, a  Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Art and Art History, University of New Mexicocame to Nigeria through the fellowship programme organised by OYASAF to research Contemporary African Art.

Although many scholars have contributed to the global validation of contemporary African art, OYASAF has continue to invite foreigners interested in learning Contemporary African Art into Nigeria to research more on this, most importantly learn more on recent development on Contemporary African Art.

In a lecture to round up Wild fellowship programme in Nigeria titled ‘Beyond the Black Atlantic: Contemporary Artistic Production in Lagos Today’ Wild said she learnt more on the history of African Art using works of African Artist abroad and those in Nigeria to draw comparism. She was grateful to OYASAF for the opportunity given her to learn about contemporary African Art in Lagos. According to her ‘I wanted to get familiar with contemporary artists based in Lagos so I can include them in my teaching and research in University of New Mexico. I also wanted to know how do the global/local interact in the practice of artists based in Lagos? I included two artists – Ndidi Dike and PejuAlatise into my dissertation, to put their work in conversation with that of YinkaShonibare who is also Nigeria but a well known global Artist. My presentation also aims to show how Artists have domesticated these through the filters of their locales—Lagos and London—to make them relevant to their specific socio-cultural and political contexts.’

Wild during her lecture noted that Contemporary African Art is changing and there is need for African Artist abroad to always connect to their roots so that the stories they tell through their Art works is not the one out of extinction.

Prince Shyllon also in a keynote address resonate what OYASAF is doing to contribute to the development of Contemporary African Art . He spoke on the contribution of OYSAF to Artistry in Nigeria. According to him , this year alone OYASAF has donated a sculpture Justice and Culture to University of Lagos. According to him, he said the aim is for the preservation of people’s identity. Prince Shyllon said the donation to the Faculty goes beyond just a sculpture to beautify space. He noted that the donation is to how we symbolise justice, noting that the statue donated is Nigeria’s symbol of justice.

OYASAF recently also donated 1,000 art pieces to Pan Atlantic Universty. The donation according to Prince Shyllon during the lecture is towards establishing a privately funded public museum in Nigeria which is probably the first of its kind in Africa.

The value of the 1000 art works and 200 photographs granted to the University by Prince Shyllon is estimated at one billion, six hundred and seven million, eight hundred and eighty five thousand Naira ,₦1,607,885,000:00. In addition, he is donating a further ₦100m towards the construction of the museum where these artworks and photographs will be on display as well as an annual contribution for fifteen years for the maintenance of the museum, amounting to a total donation of ₦2.2b both in cash and the value of the artworks.

Prince Shyllon who rounded up the lecture encouraged more Artist to contribute their works for the development of Contemporary African Art.