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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