Friday 11 May 2018

At 25, Mydrim Gallery shows 12 Masters

Founder of Mydrim Gallery, Mrs Sinmidele Adesanya during a press preview of The Masters exhibition today in Lagos.
Perhaps, the last art gallery standing in Nigeria - among others of old- Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, rolls out the drums with 'The Masters' art exhibition.
 Showing from June 3 - 4, 2018 at Desiderata, Bannana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, the exhibition features works of Jimoh Akolo,
El Anatsui, Abayomi Barber, Jimoh Buraimoh, David Dale, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Bisi Fakeye, Yusuf Grillo, Gani Odutokun,
Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo and Muraina Oyelami.
 During a preview few hours ago, in Lagos, the founder of Mydrim Gallery, Mrs Sinmidele Adesanya described the exhibiting artists as representing the "source" of modern and contemporary Nigerian art.

Excerpts;
"Nigerian proverb says 'A river that does not know its source will soon run dry'.
This exhibition is a display of the works of twelve of Nigeria's Masters, such that art lovers, artists and art students know the "source"- some of those artists who steered the course and remained committed and focused to developing the visual arts in Nigeria in the face of monumental challenges. They made the sacrifices for the present generation of artists.

"Young artists today need to know the history of those who paved the way for them.The masters in this exhibition have not only created an extensive body of work but they have also changed the ideology of what it is to be an artist, and African at that. They have brought world renown to Nigerian art; some of them like Onobrakpeya and Grillo brought heavy reform to Nigerian art in the form of the Zaria Art Society and rebelled against Western schools of thought during their school days. All of the Masters in this exhibition have dedicated their lives to serving the art and have extensively studied, researched and honed their talent. Becoming a Master takes a lifetime of practice and perfecting as well as having influence in the form of mentoring and teaching. These artists have the clout that is not born in a day. Mydrim would like to draw more attention than to the names of these artists, because their skill and creativity presupposes itself and speaks for itself. Not only that but they also create emblems of Nigerian society at large and add depths to the culture.Most of these artists are matured in age so Mydrim wishes to celebrate them in their lifetime.

"Mydrim is the perfect gallery to commemorate these greats since Mydrim has been a part of all of their journeys in some shape or form. We owe it to them to give them the accolades they deserve.Artists".

"Mydrim Gallery was established by Mrs Sinmidele Adesanya in December 1992. She had a passion for fine arts and recognised the incredible talent of the Nigerian artist. Unfortunately, at that time the art profession was generally not regarded as one of the noble professions and society did not accord much importance to the artists or their works.

"The objective of the gallery was to rectify this anomaly and create a platform for educating Nigerians about the importance and the value of art. The Gallery also sought to discover and promote new artists and also to showcase the works of emerging and established artists.It has been an extremely challenging journey, but twenty five years later, Mydrim has contributed significantly to the development of the visual arts in Nigeria. The promulgation of art as a great store of value has been established and artists are now held in high esteem.

"The works of Nigerian artists are now sought after all over the world. Mydrim Gallery remains at the forefront of providing art lovers in Lagos and across the country an avenue to discover and acquire important and collectable works of art by African artists. In 2015, Mydrim Gallery represented Africa at the modern art section of International Art Dubai Fair in recognition of its involvement with art in Nigeria. Mydrim Gallery offers a range of services including acquisitions, collection management, curatorial services and advisory.

"For more than 25 years, Mydrim has remained a major player in the Nigerian art industry with the keen oversight of Sinmidele Adesanya, who is highly regarded for making art relevant and accessible to a contemporary audience".

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