NIKE CENTER FOR ART AND CULTURE – A HAVEN OF AFRICAN ART MASTERPIECES

Photo Credit - Ayaka

The Nike Centre for Art and Culture is a five floor ultra modern cultural art centre at Lekki Peninsula, Lagos – Nigeria.  A home distinctively known for its vast collections of art from diverse Nigerian cultures and artists.

It is owned and managed by Chief Mrs. Nike Davies-Okundaye, a professional textile artist and painter. Nike Okundaye, born in the early fifties, has had most of her life grounded in the world of art and textile making, with an informal training from her great grandmother back in the sixties.

Over the years, she has grown to become a household name in many countries, with credits to her works, her philanthropic lifestyle and her mission to further promote and sustain the African culture of arts and textile. Mrs. Davies-Okundaye has had over 102 solo art exhibitions and 36 group art exhibitions in her lifetime. Her work is widely circulated in private homes and schools, colleges, universities, palaces and museums all over the world. Her life’s mission is to further promote, enhance, sustain and provide the enabling environment for the growth of African cultural heritage in Nigeria.

She established Nike art centres around Nigeria where she provides training for hundreds of aspiring young performance artists and craftsmen. With master teachers who instruct in wood sculpture, relief carving, painting, bead work, mosaic, batik, adire, appliqué, pen and ink paintings, quilting, drum making and dancing.

In September 2009, the Nike Gallery in Lagos was opened to the public with the main purpose of transforming the fledgling art and culture landscape in Lagos. At first glance at the adire patterned and painted gate leading to the centre from a distance, one wonders what lies beyond its walls. The contemporary Lekki structure represents Nike’s second textile museum and her fourth Nike Art Gallery in Nigeria.

Before a tour of every nock and cranny of the centre began, I had an engaging exchange with the artistic, flamboyant and expressive art icon on what her typical days are like; what streams of life she gets her inspirations from; how she manages to run the Centre alongside her family responsibilities; and more.

Photo Credit - Ayaka

How are Nigerians reacting to art now? As a society, is our perception of art improving or does it remain unchanged?

There’s no society that is static. Societies are dynamic. You might not be interested now, but tomorrow you might be! Obviously, that goes without saying that Nigerians will definitely grow to appreciate and love art, but for now, it’s the other way round. And that has to do with our upbringing. Our fathers and parents have not really allowed us to develop in the field of art. You ask a parent now; do you want your child to be an artist? Or one of these other professions like medicine, law, or engineering? We all know what they often than not choose. But, we at the gallery here are seeing a shift from that attitude. Parents now bring their children here for sightseeing, even when they’re not buying artworks. They just walk around and see. And when those children continue to see art works in different forms, something will be registered in them. If you tell them how interesting it is to be an artist, they would explore more of it. Many people will say artists are always poor, I don’t believe that. You can also develop into a rich artist if you package and handle yourself and know how to sell your work. Selling your work doesn’t always mean exchanging them for money, it also means, you should be able to tell a story about your art. That is what makes a good artist.

What are your typical days like and how do you balance your family life with your obligations at the Centre?

First and foremost, as a wife and a mother I bring the interests of my husband and children into play and don’t neglect my domestic responsibilities. While at the gallery I receive visitors, attend to clients and admirers of our artwork, and tell stories about the individual pieces. Schools bring their pupils and students to visit, some ask for special workshops; artists come for exhibitions, artwork auctions are all part of our daily activities. And recently, we hosted a send forth party for the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Robin Renee Sanders, which was well attended.

I also manage various businesses around the country. The training centre in Osogbo is a renowned place for craftsmanship which was opened in 1983, with more outlets in Lagos, Abuja and Ogidi-Ijumu.  At the moment, about 70 students from across Nigeria, and three foreigners are enrolled in training courses in Osogbo. I also make sure that activities at the Ogidi-Ijumu Centre in Kogi State and the workshop are in productive states; ensuring the local women get the materials they need to work and learn. I also run an Abuja training centre where most students who come from the north go for training.

Chief (Mrs.) Nike Okundaye (Photo Credit - Nike Okundaye)

Her Life’s Philosophy

From her respect for Picasso’s doctrine “’it is good for an artist to copy another artist, but not good for an artist to copy themselves,” Nike Davies-Okundaye draws a wealth of inspiration.

“It’s like you ask an author or writer how is it that the stories he wrote two weeks ago is different from the one he wrote today. Because, that’s really what makes the work of an artist. You find that if you now reduce yourself to craftsmanship, you drop off from the line of an artist. The quality of an artist is to be able to create new things, break new grounds all the time. There are some people who do that, people who are highly prolific. They will paint four or five art works in one day and they will all look different. Whereas, craftsmen will build three to four chain chairs, weave about four to five baskets, and those baskets and chairs would look the same. So you’re not putting into place your ability to develop new things if you reproduce similar pieces. Instead, you become a machine or computer with predictable outcomes.”

The tour round the gallery is mind-blowing. With colours from different paintings captivating and intriguing you on many levels. The sculptures made from wood, metal scrap, and rubber was stunning too.  One of the pieces that really got my time and attention was a metal installation made from an electronic fan, a metal spoon and other metasl used in depicting a spider in its web. And how the very popular ‘dunlop’ slippers were cut into pieces of varying shapes and painted into a masterpiece.  The most memorable? The artwork of seemingly wasted pieces of used fabrics and in different colours intertwined and finished into a footmat and carpet.

Visit Ayaka gallery for more pictures on Nike Gallery.

For more info on Nike’s Centre for Art and Culture visit, www.nikeartcenter.com and www.nikeart.com. The Gallery is open from Monday – Saturday 9am – 5pm and on Sunday 11am – 5pm

‘Seun Johnson is an Editorial Assistant at Ayaka. As a graduate of Sociology, his understanding of social structures and patterns of relationship shape his perspectives to life and how he defines them.