Abiodun Kafaru’s art: Recourse to culture, education

Dr. Abiodun Kafaru is a visual artist and educationists. He is a lecturer at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Ijanikin, Lagos State.

Dr. karafu who recently returned from a short sojourn in UK to complete his doctoral research in art is set to showcase a collection of his old and new works, all paintings, in an exhibition titled ” Recourse to Culture, Education and Technology in Lagos State” to hold on August 25 to 31 at the Resource Place (Tafas Gallery), in Ikeja, Lagos.

The formal presentation of his works tagged: Doctoral Research Painting s, Drawings and New Media” executed at the University of Northampton, United Kingdom will be chaired by Dr. Mrs Ladele Aina, Provost of AOCOED, Ijanikin alongside others that include His Royal Highness, Oba Saudi Elegusi as father of the day and Dr. Mrs Adedemi Taire as mother of the day.

The exhibition which is seen to spark conversation on the Yoruba cultural values will also attract stakeholder in the art industry, art collectors and discerning public.

The seven-day exhibition of paintings by Kafaru will be featuring about 40 works in display that include paintings done before he left the country, some done while he was there and few of his recent after he returned.

Briefing the media on the upcoming show, Dr. Kafaru in his scholarly manner expressed his enthusiasm in showcasing what he called a collection of cross cultural study effort that depicts artistic ingenuity over time.

“This show is to bring to light some of the works I have done before and during my doctoral research in the university of Northampton, UK.

I have actually, done several of styles which I developed now and in recent time. My brush strokes is something I have been packaging for a while, but the essence is to let the art community, upcoming artists and the public see works of studio research in fine art.

I have got a lot of works to be exhibited and the title is “Resources to cultural education, technology in Lagos State.” Basically, I want to use my culture as a background to theorise on some theories, such as emotional consciousness to my immediate environment and culture.

The studio research is saddled with 50% theory and 50% practical works to strengthen the descripture of works that will be paraded that day. Some of the title centers in kingship, symbolism and signs of Yoruba culture.

There are a work called “Talking Drum” and there also another of Yoruba phenomenology of values and cultural strands.

I Dr. Kunle Filani’s review of my work, he did mentioned that they are a retrospective works which I disagree to some extent because the exhibition isworks done before I left the country, while I was there and few works I did when I returned.

The 40 works comprises paintings, drawings and my new innovation called New media. The New media is a combinations of oil colours and nonconventional materials.

It is not mixed media but a construction saddled with technology using sharp edge to define forms. About 25 works were done in UK while the rest was executed before and after I returned back in the country.

The package is also a showcase of cross cultural understanding in art. While in UK, most of my works are impressionistic art, stemming from an expectations to meet the demand of my research works while back home, the Yoruba cultural values is in play.

My works are basically characterised with blue hues which I called my strong colour tool to create impression. My use of colour is not conventional.

I use my colours to serve certain purpose and it still obeys me. Other supporting colours are in consonant with my style while my brush strokes are careless to achieve purpose.

Expectations in this show is basically to reawake cultural consciousness about our art. Also it will serve as a research material for upcoming and practising artists.