Yokohama Here I come

Part 1- My First Lonnnnnnng Trip!

Mari and me!

Some time last year I was invited to Yokohama Japan to work with artist Mari Ishiwata on a Homestay (guest from Africa ) project by Koh Kuroki, an art director from Japan whom I had met in June of 2011 while he was visiting Nigeria.

For one, I’m really excited about this trip because before now Japan, more specifically Yokohama, is a place I always heard about and I dreamed of visiting someday but I couldn’t have imagined it was so soon!?! So I was really really excited.

When I think Japan I think, Kimonos, wooden chalets, tea and even samurais with swords. That’s my stereotype on Japan, and its farrrrr from  true( except for the tea part) now that I have seen things for myself.

Just arrived and heading to the Ishiwata's residence with Mari!

Right from the first sunrise (even though I slept till about 3pm of the next day) it was activities and visitors all the way. Two weeks is a short time to explore such a great place and at the same time create work but Mari and I are tried our very best.

Before my arrival Mari and I had been communicating by mails and Skype so we were able to create a rough plan of activities and the workshops we wanted to do, since we had a short time. Also on my part I tried to get acquainted with the waste objects that were available which I could use to create an art piece. 


Now Japan recycles a lot so there weren’t many options like I have here in Lagos (if you know what I mean!), so basically pet bottles had to be “it”(even though it is also recycled but it was the easiest thing to collect) because there was so many and in different shapes and sizes, there were also other objects Mari had gotten in the house that they didn’t need anymore which I could also use.

So we kicked off with the photography project we planned, and we had volunteers dress up for the shoot. Even though I have always done photography, this would be my very first time using my camera as a tool to create an art project, it was usually parties, portraits and documentaries so it was really good to be able to direct my art in this direction other than sculptures and mixed media.

This project was based on "stereotypes and identity" using Japanese and African fashion to explore the topic. It was really hilarious getting ready for this shoot.

hmmm!, left or right?

what to do, what to do?!

Here we were two young people clueless about traditional dressing, and struggling to get it right. On my part, I can’t tie a gele( headgear won by women here in Nigeria) I never wear one because I feel its very uncomfortable and its like carrying a burden on my head, but since I was taking some with me to Japan, and I didn’t want to disgrace myself and my dear Africa, I quickly took a crash course from my sister’s friend just a night before my trip. 


It was terrible, and very frustrating, my hands ached  but I settled for two formulas and hoped I would get it right when I got there, after all even if I got it wrong they won’t know the difference(wink *wink*).

As for Mari it was nothing far from my experience, she couldn’t tie a kimono the right way either, she kept reciting the formula with her lips while she tried to wear it. With that I didn’t feel bad about my lack of knowledge on “African”fashion, it was a really hilarious moment, and at that point I started to discover more about my self as a person, an African and as an artist and it was clear that our topic on stereotypes was ideal for this project.

Anyway at last we came to a compromise. In our confusion, we created a cross between iro and buba( traditional attire won by Yoruba women) and the kimono called…..(still on it) somewhat a reflection of our image as young people in this very modern age, from different ends of the planet but sharing many similarities that stem from the influence of technology, western fashion and this era we exist in at present.

hmm! how was it again? Who am I kidding, learn the art of gele tying in one night? yeah right!

Mari the make-up artist

We also adopted the makeup style(the white face and red lipstick) used by traditional geisha women of Japan, as a way of blurring the identity of our models. Then again I see this as a metaphor of how young people like myself and Mari have been stereotyped and the true reflection of who we really are as people and especially as artists has been shaded by what is expected rather than what is. The reality is, we are more alike than we are different, and the traditions and cultures from the past have faded, evolved or are completely lost to the modern society we live in now .

Mari's drawing as a backdrop in the photographs make the images seem surreal, almost like a fantasy (like the tale of Alice in wonderland) a tale that exist only in stories but it’s the reality that exist in today's world. A topic I have slowly started to explore with mannequins.

By the way, the title of our exhibition was titled "An Anonymous Tale".
The images represent illusions of surrealistic events but the objects they hold in their hands are the only real things in the images (each volunteer was asked to bring something they cherished and loved), while all other objects and clothings found in each image are not from their personal possessions. 


The real objects therefore act as channels of escape from this scene of illusions, the stereotyped world I live in today that has been created by people. 

A staged photograph someone called it, truth be told, it was but it is life, and especially in this time I exist where the idea of beauty and character is fake and it is hard to differentiate reality from illusion, and more and more we begin to adopt a staged life.

Some of our lovely guests and volunteers, thanks y'all

Long story short, at the end, the photo project was a success and it was a good start for other things that were to come and I had a great time.
I was really happy to see all these young people come over to see me, and chat with me and be a part of it even though we kinda had a little language problem but it was great still, after all there many other ways to communicate other than just speaking words. 


We got great pictures from the shoot and do find below the final selection which was showed at the closing exhibition. And I must say my geles weren't so bad after all! yehhhhh! A big thank you to Asarin, Wakwak, Naddy, Aya, Caroline, Yota, Chiharu, and Akane.

Join me in some tea drinking from Japan in the story to come, and there's still my P.E.T bottle project as well. Thanks for reading.

Lovely!

Back to Clay Part 2!

Complete With Blue!


At last( like wayy last year), I finished my first out door sculpture and it was exciting to work on this project using fibre glass and bold colours, it was great and very challenging. At my last meeting with my client I kinda hoped he would change his mind and settle for another sketch which I had planned to contract to someone else cos I felt it was beyond me, I needed an excuse not to do this job but at the end I'm really proud of myself and I realise that there's so much I could do if only I push myself.

It was tough though and at some point I thought I wouldn't meet the deadline. I asked the client for 3 weeks to get this work done, it should take less time but just in case. I have never done an abstract sculpture of this  size before and the closest I ever did was in college which was like 4 years ago and with very different scenarios. For 1 it was a cement cast and 2 it was a seated human figure.

                                     

                                   

Here I had to deal with the issue of balance and not just visually, lots of calculating had to be done and I had to get it right. On one hand I couldn't afford to make the sculpture too light because of winds as it was meant for an open and airy location and to be placed on a pedestal and I also couldn't make it too heavy for the sake of balance, it had to be jussst right

Thankfully I had help from a colleague who helped to speed things up since we were pressed on time. Nothing good comes easy and so of course we had our share of  hindrances  but it was all worth while.

"Get that camera away from me ...!"

Finishing is the part where I like to give my best both in the clay work, just before casting and on the sculpture just before painting. There was a lot of sanding to do and the joints had to look and feel right, so much so that one couldn't guess where the joints were, now that's a good finish!

Painting was a choking experience as I was using Autobase paint for the first time, its the best option for an outdoor sculpture but also very toxic. With all my gadgets to protect me from the fumes I had to take 5 minutes breaks in between, it was terrible, so it took me 2 days to get the painting done and the night between, I ran to my sister's house to spend the night, there was no way I could sleep at home with all those fumes in the air.

                                     

                                               

At its final location

But at last, at last its over and it was a good 3 weeks experience of hard work and the choking smell of resin and paint, the sculpture came out great with good finishing and no worries about balance, it was jussst right!
I delivered right on schedule and best of all, this sculpture had colours and not the usual brownish bronzey look most sculptures around have.
I'm blessed to be an artist!

Coming up next would be my reportage on my trip to Japan (way past due)!

Home and Out Again!!

One week at the abraka turf has ended and I returned home to finish what I started, quite a short time for me to finish the work I want to create. In the midst of preparing for my trip to Japan for a residency program in the week to come, I had to finish and submit my entry before I left, which meant I would miss the show opening(sad).

The use of colours on my paper work is a new addition which I had tried on two dimensional surfaces, this would be the first application on a 3 dimensional piece; I think it came out ok but it could be better or maybe there could be other ways to apply the colours. But I think I’m quite content with the result to start with.

I really wish the work was bigger(this has nothing to do with the prize!!!), as the size I had in mind had to be altered because of movements from the workshop in Delta state and back to Lagos again, didn’t want any trouble with moving the work back and forth, the paper sculptures, are somewhat fragile.

The exhibition finale took place at the Civic center on Thursday the 15^th of December, and I didn’t win(again, too bad) but I am glad I have one more paper sculpture to my credit and one more exhibition to my CV, great! Congrats to the winners, though next time, I'll make sure I create a piece as large as the building( what's with judges and large works??!!!) On the contrary I'll do the opposite.

                   I also got good comments on my work (not from these people exactly, they seem to be staring at something else) and I’m glad people appreciate what I do.

Yokohama is up next, tune in next time, for more exciting photos, food and art pieces from the island of JAPAN!!Yipeeeeeee!

FIRST DAY OF CAMP

The African artist foundation AAF in collaboration with Nigerian Breweries company (NBC) holds an annual art competition with prize money for three finalists, as well as an exhibition of all works from the first selected group of finalists. Last year there were 30 finalists with moi included (though I didn’t win), it was a great experience. 

Evbako was my entry for last year and I was really proud of my self after creating her. I wasn’t really sad about not winning but I was pleased with the fact that I realized that there was more I could do with paper than just cubes. It’s good to be expectant and want to win but I think the journey to a prize has more trophies on the way than we realize.

So now I’m on another journey to realize something new about myself and this gift God has given me. This year the AAF took a different approach, instead of submitting already created work, we got to submit a proposal on the work we want to create so no old works allowed sorry!!

This year’s theme is Documenting changes in Nation, and this was my proposal

DOCUMENTING CHANGES IN OUR NATION

The topic talks about the constant recording of many transformations and changes that occur in Nigeria, referring to the past the present and the future.

I have chosen to approach the topic from the perspective of the source of these changes not the events or the change itself but where it starts and ends, and the responsibility it falls on to document them; which are “people”, the Nigerian people.

I hope to interpret this theme with a paper sculpture of about 4 feet in height made up of several hands all interwoven and rising from the ground but gradually giving way for each other at the top. Each hand will hold a small window painted with a bright color and from that point, different colors flow out in lines from the windows, on the hands, to the ground.

Windows are symbolic for opportunity, a crossroad of choice and also act a communication point between two spaces. So having each hand holding one represents the change each Nigerian impacts on the nation either good or bad. And the colors stand for the effect of the choices we make, showing that an impact is always made great or small. There is need for people to realize that they make history in their own little way and therefore make every step in life a conscious one, as it is only in that conscious state that we will be able to document these changes effortlessly.

The only reason we have some form of history at all in Nigeria is because a few people cared enough to document certain events that happened in their time. There is too much ignorance among people as they do not realize their strength and power and undermine the abilities they have to contributing to the nation.

The responsibility of documenting changes doesn’t lie only with the press or the photographers or artists; it lies mostly with the people, in their different environments and cultures and thanks to technology it’s even much easier. Something as simple as a family portrait can give so much information about that particular time in history, fashion, architecture, and interior design are all interwoven inside one image. Documenting changes in our nation is every Nigerian’s responsibility.

Taiye IDAHOR

Artist

12 finalists have been picked for a one weeks workshop (previously two weeks) at the Abraka Turf and country club, in Delta state. We arrived last night after a very long and tiring journey thanks to police wahala on the road, but thank God we are here.

Today is first day of camp; I was exhausted after the journey, and before the journey, lost my voice and my appetite, so work is the last thing on my mind.

Its absolutely beautiful here, just as we drove in we were welcomed by a stable of horses, full breed Argentinean horses as we told. Well fed and very strong, unlike the hungry ones that people ride in Lagos, absolutely beautiful.

Took a ride around in the evening and had a closer look at the horses.

Didn’t get much work done today, I was still exhausted over the journey and the lack of rest the nights before, so I had a good rest after lunch.

At last I gave a couple of hours to work on my sculpture. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have to get more work done.

Back to Clay!

For some time now I’ve been doing some experimenting with other materials outside the usual.  The usual being cement, fiber glass and metal, but recently I had to go back to clay modeling cos I was hired to create a 5 feet fibre glass monument.

I'm very excited about the project cos this would be my first public space monument and I am glad to be modeling clay again after a long time.

I started by creating a model, I think it’s important the client can visualize the final piece not just with sketches and words.
Out of several sketches, this was the chosen one. 

       

          

                                                       

Above are images of the model from the wire armature to the clay work. And below is the piece in fibre glass.

It measures about 13 inches in height. After the presentation, the client of course made slight changes which reflected on the final piece.

Work begins, now that the model has been approved! Look out for the final piece and how the project progressed.

Where it Started!

I have been talking about the change of name series for a while, so I thought it best to show where the project started from. It started in the last quarter of 2010 and it started with me trying to make a self portrait of the state I was at the point and this was the first of the project;

change of name 01

                                                          
And the rest follows

 

change of name 02

 

change of name 03

 

 

 

change of name 05

 

 

 

change of name 04

change of name 06

These are all 2x 2 feet in size cos they are actually experiments, trying to find ways to use and combine my materials. 01 is my favourite and very dear and personal and I won't say which is my least best but more are on the way and from my last post the second large piece is already in progress so stay tuned to the blog and watch how it progresses.