November 3, 2018 is a memorable day , as I hosted the first post-CL18 meetup in Lagos.
Art is gaining some attention in Nigeria and this annual event has continued to attract patrons. Artists, collectors, galleries and enthusiasts converged at the Civic Centre to see some latest works around Africa.
Local Guides toured the galleries on both floors. From the entrance, you could see artworks by two global acclaimed artistes Shonibare(right) and Enwonwu (left). The two Nigerian born artistes have made giant strides with their sculptures and paintings. Shonibare carved the famous Wind Sculpture and Enmowu is acclaimed for the rare portrait of Queen Tutu (the Black Mona Lisa). Tutu has been missing for about 40 years and this Is the first time it’s being displayed in public after its recovery.
Creativity pops up on all human activities and we got some dose here. An artistic concept which was on display played instant sounds when a particular session or word is touched. I tried pushing the word La Casera and the voice of a young seller blared along with moving sounds of cars on a busy street.This is quite entertaining and would be great to have in parks.
Intriguing paintings, sculptures, photographs and comics from different countries had some messages or abstract meanings. There were artistes from Kenya, Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Uganda, South Africa, Bostwana, Burkina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Faso, Zimbabwe, Australia, U.K, U.S andFrance.
Hundreds of school children attended the art event in groups and this is quite commendable for the future of art in Nigeria.
Sayo and I have been thinking of becoming collectors, like the names of some great Nigerians that appeared on the wall.
At the end of the art tour, we headed for another artistic crawl. Vera invited us to food tasting and a photo session. Perhaps a welcome party?
Suya made its way to our tables, then the drinks came and the fun began. Suya is a popular roadside spicy food common in Nigeria. It’s a sort of barbecue made from various types of meat especially beef.
Local Guides also had some taste of various drinks from vodka to beer. You should check SuyaBytes, if you visit Lagos.
While we got knee deep into the Suya and pepper sauce garnished with vegetables, Sayo was taking some breathtaking photos. So, we got into a mini modelling session. Crazy poses and laughter.
The photos that came out will wow you! (Look through the album)
In the middle of the fun, we discovered it was @James birthday and the frenzy increased with special hugs from all Local Guides and this snap.
Towards, the end of the meetup we reviewed the places we had been and some buildings along the street which is one of the highbrow commercial part of Lagos.
Art, Food, Photograpy, Map editing and camaraderie in one meetup.That’s Lagos!
@Sayo @Vera_chidera Williams, @Oyindamola @wildspan
It’s so good to be back in Lagos. Local Guides are simply artistic!
@KarenVChin @brittym @ErmesT @AriMar @PaulPavlinovich @Jesi
Check of the thrilling Lagos Art Tour Album and short video below.
Cheers
Emeka
P.s: We looked out for something and found them in place. Big thumbs up for the organizers. Seems they took our feedback from last year. Accessibility Compliance
You are really generating a positive impact in the community!