Nigeria is a colourful country with lots of art and culture. The art alone is more than enough reason to visit Nigeria. Art is all about drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, dance, music, drama and literature. But for the sake of this article, we will exclude dance, music, drama and literature from our focus.
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We have decided to compile a list of places where you will find interesting artworks that are worth your visit. They include Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin City, Ile Ife, Kaduna, Jos, and Osogbo just to name a few. This is the first part of a 3 part series.
In this series, we will be looking at what each state has to offer art lovers.
Benin City
The New York Times
From the statues at Kings Square to the paintings at Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City is boiling over with artistic expressions. Famed for their collections of bronze castings, Nok art exhibit, cast iron, Benin brass, ivory sculptures and carvings, the National Museum is a must-see.
There is also a Museum in Oba’s Palace with more hallowed artefacts for the viewing pleasure of visitors to the Royal Palace. Currently, Governor Godwin Obaseki is working on a new museum called the National Museum of African American History and Culture which will hold artworks and artefacts looted from Nigeria in the 1897 raid.
When this is ready, you won’t need to travel to Britain, Germany or France to view Benin artworks. There are also art galleries in Benin City with oil paintings and other mind-blowing artworks. There is Black Passionate Art, Idubor Arts Gallery, Sir Victor Uwaifo’s Museum and Idahosa art galleries.
Jos
The vibrant city of Jos calls you in with its street art/murals under the bridge at Bukuru road. They also boast of a large collection of artworks from art galleries to museums.
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You can visit the Vintage Art gallery with creative paintings, sculpture and illustrations focused on the social impact of Nigerians or the National Gallery of Art at the Ministry of Tourism Secretariat.
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You could also visit the Museum complex. Here you will see two types of museum. One that pays homage to the pre-colonial architecture of Nigerians with life-sized replicas, the Museum of Traditional Nigerian Architecture.
The other a building that hosts artworks like Nok Terra Cotta Heads, finely crafted Pottery from Bauchi, Benin, Taraba, and Borno as well as other historic artefacts from the mining era. The Museum is at the base of a rocky mountain.
Osogbo
Every aspect of Osogbo screams art; from clothes to art galleries. The name of the town which is sometimes called Ile Aro means the home of dyeing.
You can find different types of Adire here like Adire Alabele (Wax Batik), Adire Oniko (Raffia Resist), Adire Alabere (stitch Resist) and Adire Eleko (Starch Resist).
If art on textile isn’t enough to blow you away, visit the Art Galleries. In Osogbo, the most popular gallery is Nike Art Gallery and Genesis art gallery. If the sculpture is your cup of tea, then you will love Suzanne Wenger House and Museum, Osun-Oshogbo Sacred Grove.
The Susanne Wenger Adunni Olorisha Trust
Watch out for part two in the series of the States to visit Nigeria as a Fine Arts Enthusiast.
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Ann Esievoadje is a freelance writer who is passionate about encouraging a reading culture and personal development. She has authored two books, The Quilt (fiction) and Being Mummy and Me (non-fiction). She manages Pulchra Publishing which offers a content creation/editing, transcription, different forms of writing (including Ghostwriting) service and her blog, Life Love and Anything Goes at annesievoadje.blogspot.com.ng. You can reach her at annesievoadje@gmail.com
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