Old Lagos on canvas

KEHINDE SANWO had, for a long time, been worried with the speed by which old architectural buildings, scattered all over Lagos were disappearing, due to regular forced demolition. AGOZINO AGOZINO feasts on some of his paintings, displayed at the ongoing art auction holding at Terra Kulture, Lagos, that tell the story of the city and the need to preserve history for the future generation.

When painter Kehinde Sanwo noticed the way what used to be the old Lagos was disappearing through demolitions, he was not happy and thought that something needed to be done to tell people about the old Lagos. Hence, that thought, not only materialised  in numerous exhibitions for Sanwo, but, it set him apart as a reckoning force in art studio practice.

The Lagos-born painter believes that the history of a state like Lagos, is one that should not be toyed with,  because of the various people of different cultures that make it an African cosmopolitan city, thus, he  wants to always document these structures for future generations.

“I noticed that what used to be the popular architectural buildings of Lagos have been demolished. Everyday people wake up to discover that one building or the other had been pulled down in one part of Lagos. So when I thought about it, I  believed that if no effort was made by artists in documenting these architectural structures, a time would come when we may not only lose the major history of the state, but, also will not be helping the future generations”, Sanwo said at his Ijaye Ogba home which also serves as his studio.

Sanwo, a graduate of Yaba College of Technology, (YABATECH), is passionate about everything on  colonial Lagos. His studio ideology is that there is a great deal to understand than ignore one’s history.

Starting from the 1830s when Brazilian returnees, some of them freed African slaves of Yoruba descent, greatly enriched the culture of urban Lagos, these returnees changed the face of the city by creating a unique architecture in what became known as the Brazilian style, which were usually two-storey buildings and stucco-faced bungalows that put a decidedly Afro-Brazilian spin on the British colonial architecture that was sprouting everywhere in Lagos.

The Brazilian returnees, who trained as masons,  were very much in demand as architects and examples of their works can be found throughout Lagos Island, Ikoyi and beyond.
Sanwo, who grew up in Lagos, said he had always been fascinated by these buildings and he never wants them to fade away as it is part of Lagos history and Nigeria, “we need to preserve our history because your history tells who you are”.

His passion for this project is like a divine mission. He, sometimes, take camera shots of the remaining buildings before turning them into beautiful paintings, while he replicates through his painting. And over the years, he had produced remarkable works that have been exhibited in many galleries. In fact, one needs not be born in colonial Lagos to see how the city looks, all the person needs do is, simply, to visit his studio.
Sanwo’s journey into documenting this history of Lagos started long time ago as a result of personal experience. According to him, this experience led him into making further research about the city which,  eventually, resulted into a rich collection of works. “The fact that many artists were not thinking in my direction never doused my zeal, it rather pushed me on. Many were interested in landscape paintings, others didn’t, actually, saw it the way I saw it. I think it was an inspiration,’’ he said.

Sanwo recalled how he went to the Brazilian Embassy in Lagos, to seek for collaboration with it to run the first solo exhibition of his works, and, he was pleasantly  surprised when the embassy became interested in his works. This collaboration became the first exhibition that showcased his works on Lagos to the public.
The Brazilian architecture that Sanwo’s art seeks to preserve can also be found in other parts of Nigeria and for years have been a fixture of most urban settlements.

Sanwo’s paintings document many of these important buildings and directly reverence their role in the development of a modern Lagos. He also uses his depiction of these old buildings to recall an earlier time in the history of Lagos when the streets were clean, peaceful and free of clogged traffic. Through the titles of his paintings, he inscribes a visual record of the history of Lagos and the impact of African and European commerce on its eventual growth into one of the largest cities in the world.

His works suggest that the Brazilian-styled buildings are a major component of the history of Lagos and, as such, they should be preserved. His paintings served as memorials to the vanishing glory of old Lagos, what was then a city with broad streets and quiet neighbourhood.

The soft-spoken painter had participated in major group and solo exhibitions including the Light Atmosphere, Nigerian Landmark, Moment in Time, In the Past, Legacy, Transcending Boundaries, 13th Annual Pestal Exhibition, Imbued Essence, The Crux of the Matter, Threshold, Times and Feeling.