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24 Nov 2014

Nigerian Breweries& AAF Announce The finalists For The Seventh Annual National Art Competition




Nigerian Breweries Plc. and the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) announce the twelve finalists for the seventh annual National Art Competition.
The National Art Competition aims to promote the development of contemporary African art and raise awareness of social issues through the use of creative artistic expression. This year, we had an unprecedented number of strong, conceptually sophisticated entries, proposing a variety of artistic practices in response to the theme “Interventions”.

This year’s theme examines how contemporary art serves as a catalyst for positive social change, engaging artists to think about their relationship to the social, political, and cultural framework of the society that they live in. As contemporary art is inherently an avenue for audiences to analyze and begin a dialogue about issues relevant to their present day, artists are asked to create work that will spark public discourse and make a difference in their local communities. 

Whether engaging public space with site-specific interventions, or using the artwork itself as the communication agent, how can art impact society? What is the role of the artist in the twenty-first century, and what can art achieve? These and other ideas around the word “Interventions” will be explored in the National Art Competition 2014 through the development of the twelve finalists’ projects.

This year, over a hundred proposals were received from all geopolitical zones in Nigeria. After the deliberation of the artists selection committee, led by Professor El Anatsui, twelve (12) finalists have been chosen to take part in this year’s edition of the National Art Competition.
The twelve finalists of the National Art Competition are: Ada Umeofia, Emmanuel Dudu, Ike Francis, Paul Mbah, Nkechi Ebubedike, Erasmus Onyishi, Pwavidon Mathias, Tyna Adebowale, Modupeola Fadugba, Okafor Amarachi, Priscilla Nwanah, and Jacqueline Suowari.

The National Art Competition places emphasis on the processes of artistic creation rather than solely the end product, where artists develop ideas and the message of their work. This is to reflect the National Art Competition’s renewed focus on artistic processes, an agenda which will be rigorously pursued in the coming years with the theme “Process to Product”. To this end, finalists will take part in an Artist Retreat between August 18 - 20, 2014 at the African Artists’ Foundation Gallery, 54, Raymond Njoku street, Off Awolowo road, Ikoyi, Lagos, where finalists will have the opportunity to partake in workshops by leading artists, scholars, and practitioners in their fields and exchange ideas with other finalists. 

Workshop facilitators and artist mentors this year include: Oliver Enwonwu, Medina Dugger, Tola Wewe, Osai Ojigbo, Segun Adefila, Emeka Okocha, David Messan, Aina Okundaye & Yegwa Ukpo.
After the retreat, finalists will have the following four months to execute their final project. The National Art Competition team will conduct studio visits with finalists to monitor progress and provide feedback. The Grand Finale and Judging Ceremony will take place on November 26, 2014 at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. A judging panel of distinguished arts professionals, led by Professor El Anatsui, will deliberate and select the final three winners.
The prizes to be won are as follows:

First Place
2 Million Naira
Solo Exhibition at AAF

Winner: Outstanding Concept
1 Million Naira

Winner: Outstanding Production
1 Million Naira

The National Art Competition is proudly sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc. and coordinated by African Artists’ Foundation (AAF).

Nigerian Breweries and Art
Nigerian Breweries has been partnering with the African Artists’ Foundation to organize the National Art Competition for six consecutive years. This is part of an effort to encourage and promote the development of creativity, arts and artists in Nigeria. Nigerian Breweries recognises that arts play an important role in strengthening cultural values in any society. This sponsorship remains only part of a broad initiative to support arts development in Nigeria, as well as the development of talents in various fields of endeavour. 

About AAF
African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of contemporary African art. Established in 2007 in Lagos, Nigeria, African Artists’ Foundation aims to encourage the highest standard of art in Africa. African Artists’ Foundation serves a significant role in art and academic communities through organizing art exhibitions, festivals, competitions, residences, and workshops with the aims of unearthing and developing talent, creating societal awareness, and providing a platform to express creativity. By providing assistance to professional and emerging artists in Africa and support to international exhibitions and community outreach programs, African Artists; Foundation views the contribution to a strong cultural landscape in Africa as a transformative element in driving social change.

www.nationalartcompetition.org
www.africanartists.org
www.facebook.com/nationalartcompetition

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