Art Listing

BRUSH STROKES OF THE STRUGGLE The exhibition of the economist turned artist, Emerem currently running at the Museum shows the elasticity of creativity, writes Ekpo Udo Udoma The art of Mbonu Emerem can be seen in the light of the works of other self-rained Nigerian artists like Emmanuel Ekefrey, Mike Akpan, and those of the Osogbo School. Much unlike these other artists whose works have deep attachment to their cultural roots however, Emerem’s works are social commentaries with the desire to reform society as it were. This is evident in such works as Blackman as a Viitimiser, an acrylic painting (50cm x 63cm) done in 1992. This painting depicts an unidentified beast of burden seem on the left side of the picture plane. Towards the central and lower right side or the surface are masks seen both frontally and in profile which represent the Blackman. At the same time the figure is also a Blackman who represents the suffering which Africans constantly inflict on themselves, despit