ABSTRACT

Since the revolution earlier started with the emergence of the Renaissance in Europe, new
ideas of art creation, kept evolving as artists continued to show dissatisfaction with state-ofthe-art expression. The plethora of media for art expression spread beyond the boundaries of
Europe. More explorations and experiments kept intensifying, leading to discoveries and
inventions of other materials and techniques with the hope to present art forms that express
something better than previous creations. Different movements were formed in line with
their different ideologies. In the early 20th century, Western artists like Marcel Duchamp and
Pablo Picasso appropriated found objects as creative devices. People were shocked seeing
those kinds of art creation. The first and the second World Wars witnessed radical use of
waste in art expression. Transforming of waste and found objects into works of art not only
shows the boundless powers of human imagination, but also exposes the innate creative
potentials that such materials possess. In Africa, various artists like El Anatsui,
Dilomprizulike, Alex Nwokolo, among others, have critically engaged waste and found
objects as viable media for artistic expression. Groups like Bruce Onokbrapeya Foundation
(BOF), Art is Everywhere Project, among many, have organized seminars and workshops to
sensitize the public not only on the creative possibilities of unconventional materials, but
also on the use of found objects imbued with art works with peculiar aesthetics, which make
profound visual statements. The artists understudy, were individually motivated by nature
and their different models, but further acquired more skills and experiences through
explorations and experimentations. The choice of unconventional materials and the
techniques used by each of them for their art creations were marks of creative independence
attained by each of the artists. Most of their expressions were in the areas of paintings,
sculptures, installation arts, and mixed media exploration. Each of the works displays
exquisite expression, revels reinvention of new context. and ideation. Given the growing
global concerns on environmental degradation and climate change, the transformation of
waste and found objects into works of art imbued with new meaning is an important avenue
for having a sustainable environment. The artists derived different levels of satisfaction for
using the materials. This informed their courage and continuous creations in materials and
techniques that are unequaled. Based on the findings made after the analysis, one of the
major recommendations is the early exposition of students to the aesthetic potentials of
unconventional materials, preferable when they are still quite young. It is believed that they
will grow up to value the creative potentials inherent in the materials. Artists should always
seek out new challenges in order to task their creative skills, harness their uncertainty and
fuel their brilliant concepts.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page………………………………………………………………………..…i
Declaration ………………………………………………………………………..ii
Certification ………………………………………………………………………iii
Dedication ………………………………………………………………………….iv
Acknowledgments ………………………………………………………………….v
Abstract …………………………………………………………………………….vi
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………..vii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study ……………………………………………………………1
Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………………15
Aim and Objectives of the Study ……………………………………………………16
Research Question …………………………………………………………………..16
Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………………17
Justification of the Study ……………………………………………………………17
Significance of the Study ……………………………………………………………17
Scope of the Study …………………………………………………………………..18
vii
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………20
Review of Literature on Related Studies ……………………………………………..22
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURE
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………28
Sources of Data ………………………………………………………………………….28
Population of the Study…………………………………………………………………29
Sampling ……………………………………………………………………………….29
Research Instruments …………………………………………………………………..30
Theoretical Framework …………………………………………………………………30
Design Model ………………………………………………………………………………31
CHAPTER FOUR: FIELD WORK DATA ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………33
The Selected Artists and their works ……………………………………………………….34
Ayo Adewumi (b.1965) …………………………………………………………………..34
Ayo Aina (b.1969) …………………………………………………………………………44
Ikechukwu Francis Okoronkwo (b.1970) …………………………………………………55
Jerry Buhari (b.1959) ……………………………………………………………………..66
Mabel Onyekachi Chukwu (b.1975) …………………………………………………….76
viii
Ndidi Dike (b.1960) ……………………………………………………………………..86
Nkechi Nwosu Igbo (b.1973) ……………………………………………………………96
Nsikak Essien (b.1957) …………………………………………………………………105
Sussan Ogeyi Omagu (b.1973) …………………………………………………………114
Analyses of Works ………………………………………………………………………123
Motivation in Creating Art Works ………………………………………………………124
Interrogation of the courage in Art Creations ……………………………………………125
Thematic Concerns and Messages from the Works ……………………………………..129
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………..142
Summary and Findings …………………………………………………………………143
Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………145
Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………146
Contribution to knowledge ………………………………………………………………148
Reference ………………………………………………………………………………..149
Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………153

 

 

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Art expression in term of materials has experienced levels of changes as a result of the
revolution earlier started with the emergence of Renaissance Art in Europe. The rise of the
rich middle class, alongside people of means, supported scholarship. The initial method of
acquiring knowledge in art creation was through apprenticeship. Young aspiring artists
received the skills in the studios of established artists. Apprenticeship as a system faded out
with time. Schools being accepted as means of massive enlightenment started springing up
in different parts of Europe. Saxton (1981) notes that the first formal art school in the west
was established in 1562 in Florence, Italy, while in England, the Royal Academy was
established in 1768. By the eighteenth century, schools in Europe had increased to a
hundred. The author notes that irrespective of where the art school was located, the
emphasis was the need to stimulate the creativity of the individuals. The focus was the
development of the full imaginative potential of the aspiring artists by exposing them to a
wide range of media.
Explorations and experiments led to diversification of the media of expression. Colour as a
medium, for instance, with its different attractions to artists, occupied a commanding
position for the diversity in their individual expressions. The shades of colours in their
varieties were made to change and shift about in the quest by artists for greater dynamic
unity. Variety further offers different approaches in order to gain more satisfaction. The
desire for satisfaction was later extended to other media of expression. De la Croix and
Tansey (1980), having assessed the periodical changes, state thus:
2
For Europe, the nineteenth century was an age of radical change during
which the modern world took shape. In a world experiencing a population
explosion of unprecedented magnitude, revolution follows upon revolution,
punctuated by counter-revolution and conservative reactions … The
revolutionary shakeups of authority reverberate through the century,
carrying the hope of people for something newer, better, truer, and purer.
As search for fresh media and concepts to effect the change in expression was intensified,
Reid (1975), notes that some artists explored and experimented extensively and the outcome
of the explorations and experimentations was the exhibition of diversity on their works. For
instance, in 1786, one of the leading Neo-Classicist painters, John Zoffany, came out with a
completely different type of literary illustration titled ―Charles Macklin as Shylock‖, a
portrait study of an actor playing a part on the stage.
The range of art creation was expanding by the development of other more peculiar types of
art expression. By combining industrial and scientific subjects on one composition to
achieve the contrast effect of light, Joseph Wright of Derby‘s ―Experiment with the Air-Air
Pump‖ was a compelling art piece. In 1848, when Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was formed
by Holman Hunt and his colleagues, the author observes that the group felt dissatisfied with
the state of the art in England because it seemed to lack vigour, sincerity and seriousness.
This became obvious when the works were put in contrast with the quality of the art in Italy
and northern Europe before the time of Raphael. The artists attributed the weakness to
neglect of nature and over-dependence, instead, on academic conventions. To address this,
they initiated ―a child-like‖ reversion from existing schools to nature herself. The artists
displayed differing interests by evolving different media and techniques of art expression
which changed the face of art expression in England. This was as a result of Holman Hunt‘s
insistence on remarkable powers of observation and pictorial invention.
The emergence of Impressionists and the Post-Impressionists in the art scene witnessed the
exhibition of the most recent of the series of masterpieces of paintings from the thirteenth to
3
the nineteenth century. Their paintings, whose focus was to find a new truth, were derided,
hated or ignored purely on moral grounds. The artists deliberately evolved diversification
and innovation in the process of their art creation. This accelerated art in the way that is
comparable with the rate in the fields of science and technology. Cezanne, for example,
spent years working in isolation appropriating different media in order to reconcile his
perceptions with the relationships of touches of colour on the flat picture surface. The artist,
through experiment, understood that the appearance of objects change as the eye moves over
and around it. This was largely because of the media and techniques he devised to integrate
the picture-surface so that all the shapes on it were made to relate to one another, which
consequently led to Cubism, an abstract art of the century. Gauguin, another artist, turned
against the rationalism and materialism of his period and went to live in Tahiti, where he
was moved by the simplicity and mystery of the way of life of the peasants and natives. The
artist tried to find an equivalent to this in his diverse painting. Another artist who evolved
improvisations in his art production was Rodin. He strived to give his forms new freedom,
sometimes bridging them in space.
A group of painters (Henri Matisse, Andre Derain, and Albert Marquet, among many) came
together and staged an exhibition in 1905. The artists was named fauves (wild beasts)
because of their approaches. The painters rejected traditional rendering of three-dimensional
space defined by colours. They used vivid, non-naturalistic and exuberant media. Colours,
raw from the tubes, were applied and forms were aggressively manipulated to the point of
distortion. The work from Henri Matisse titled ―Woman with the Hat‖ is a typical example
of the characteristics of the works of the Fauvists. Their works displayed at an exhibition
were appalling to the viewers and were subjected to mockery and abuse at the time. Henri
Matisse developed an entirely new approach to art expression in terms of art materials and
4
techniques when he was ill. Different shapes of colours were cut from papers and coloured
in gouache. These were pasted on a ground by assistants under his watch. An example of
this is the work titled ―L‘Escargot‖, produced and exhibited in 1953.
In his study, Stokstad (1995) notes that Pablo Picasso joined a group of young writers and
artists, interested in progressive art and politics. He also gathered experiences from other
artists because of his frequent visits to their studios. In 1912 Pablo Picasso was preoccupied with creating works with more clearly-discernible materials. The approach led to
what was later known as ―Synthetic Cubism‖, particularly the work titled ―Glass and Bottle
of Suze‖, composed of separate elements pasted together. At the centre of the composition is
the combination of newsprint and construction arrangement of paper cut to suggest a tray or
round table upon which are glass and a bottle of liquor. The author observes that this
approach of art rendition was carried to the point of complete abstraction, although a few
allusions to objects still remained. Pablo Picasso‘s compositions started showing flat planes
being replaced by other flat materials. His focus was shifted to composing works with
machines and machine-made objects.
Cubism as a movement stimulated other similar movements. Prominent among these, was
Futurism, founded in Italy by a poet, Marinetti. Reid (1975), states that unlike other
previous movements, Futurism was propagandised in words, as well as in paintings and
sculpture materials. The artists of this movement created works with the sole aim of
destroying the art of the past which was seen as oppressive to the young artists, especially in
Italy. The Futurists hoped to substitute a new art based on speed, violence and machines.
The artists were deliberately and aggressively revolutionary in the use of materials and
techniques. They took materials from Pointillism and, much later, from Cubism, where they
came up with multiple images in one composition.
5
Radical approach to art creation was witnessed during the World Wars when some Swiss
artists under the Dada Art Movement sought to overturn what they regarded as ―outworn
aesthetic standard‖. The group individually appropriated large portions of unconventional
materials for art creation. They believed that art could be made of anything, even rubbish
(Reid, 1975). Gradually, the excitement that was expressed by the public at the emergence
of the movement lost its power to shock any longer. Other Dada artists like Max Ernst and
Ben Nicholson exploited the environment and came out with materials as mugs, jugs and
bottles as suitable materials which they used for their art expression. According to Getlein
(2002) the artists loved these materials because of their simplicity and the fact that they
were well known to everyone and could be understood from a simple profile. Artists
continued their search for the best means of expression as best as they could. For instance, a
French painter, Jean Dubuffet, developed a very different but distinct form of art expression.
His art creation was inspired by what he called ―Art Brut‖ (raw art), where materials of
uncommon backgrounds were mixed with tar, sand, and mud and manipulated to produce
works.
The tempo of radical changes in Europe and America opened up a modern epoch in art
creations. Artists from Europe who settled in America because of the World Wars continued
the quest for new concepts, materials, and techniques. New York School played a major role
in the emergence of new concepts of art expression in America and beyond. For instance,
Jackson Pollock, one of the outstanding abstract Expressionists, rejected much of the
European art tradition of aesthetic refinement for cruder and rougher materials, an approach
akin to Jean Dubuffet of France except for their materiality.
Gina (2007), states that where there is an idea, there is a way to express it (irrespective of
which part of the world the artist is coming from). To do this, artists exploited the
6
environment and created art out of non-regular materials just to portray their love for art and
the skills employed in its expression. For instance, Anastasia Elias used toilet paper rolls to
create miniature scenes of life. In a similar development, Erika Irish Simmons liked to
gather and preserve old technology such as cassette tapes that were no longer being used.
She used these unconventional materials to create popular celebrity portraits. Stanislav
Aristov from Russia used burnt matchsticks and bent them to his desired shapes before
editing photographs of them via Photoshop, where delightful scenes were created. In another
development, old watch parts were the most suitable materials used by Susan Beatrice to
create steam punk sculpture. She mainly used recycled parts which coincided with her love
for nature. Another innovative artist was Kseniya Simonova, who used sand to create
animated stories. From the pile of sand, the artist could push, rub and pinch sand into
accents that translated into beautiful depictions. Paul Vilinski is another visual artist that
used discarded materials such as beer cans to bring out his artwork in meaningful poetic
ways. The artist‘s concern for environment issues can be seen in his works, as he often used
recycled materials, giving them new breaths of life as art pieces.
Grant (2009) observes that with the introduction of new materials, the admixture of the
materials and the fair number of exploration, as well as experimentations by artists, fresh
reasons for new art movements were being stimulated. The author stressed further that
artists were in search of unique and best materials and techniques to express themselves, and
to communicate with the public. The new discoveries and inventions accelerated the pace of
art redefinition and development as newer and better media of expressions kept coming to
limelight.
The impact of the artistic transformation went beyond the boundaries of Europe. This was
first felt in the regions colonized by the individual European countries. This became
7
possible because of the relationships established through the policy of colonization. The
non-European world began witnessing inflows of cultures strange to them. Gradually, the
western nations established their kinds of values in these territories. The world started
witnessing the interpretation of artistic issues from a western world view point. In Africa,
for example, and especially in Nigeria, one fact that seems settled is that the European style
of art expression as known today evolved with Aina Onabolu (1882-1963), who not only
excelled, but who also carved a niche for himself in pioneering art education in the country.
It is observed that before 1910, not much was going on in terms of modern (European
technique) art expression in the West African sub-region. Before then, Nigerians were
creating purely indigenous arts, free of influence by any outside art-making ideas. Works
interlaced with the basic materials to create art used as a vehicle to convey spiritual concerns
for survival (Egonwa 1994).
Babalola (2004) notes that Nigeria has a flourishing art history, and that before Onabolu
could venture into the European art expression, he had interacted with, and was used to, the
types of forms in Nigeria, as art was highly appreciated by the Nigerian people. Also,
Babalola posits that Onabolu knew that the Europeans did not believe in the art of the
people. Nonetheless, he was not deterred, but was committed and determined, to reproduce
the works as he saw them. This success ended the initial error held by Europeans that no
African person was capable of producing the kind of art works created by them. Onabolu‘s
effort earned him a scholarship to read art in England and France. At the end of his study, he
did not only excel as a painter par excellence, but carved a niche for himself.
When Onabolu returned from studying overseas, Art was introduced to be taught in schools
alongside other subjects. Despite initial difficulties faced as a result of lack of teachers,
Onabolu was determined to succeed by moving from one school to the other to be
8
personally involved in the teaching. Grillo in Ikpakronyi (2003) notes that Aina Onabolu
had sacrificed so much for the survival of the subject when states thus:
The period of inertia was during the period of Onabolu. Nobody appreciated
what he was doing. He was going from school to school teaching and getting
almost nothing and trekking from place to place. He lived more or less as a
pauper. Well, relatively he didn’t have much and he died more or less just
like a school teacher. His works of course are now being appreciated.
The initiative by Aina Onabolu and those who later worked with him (Kenneth Murray, H.
E. Duckwork, Dennis Duerden and J. D. Clarke), and the impact they made, perhaps
prompted Konate (2004) to refer to them as ―instrumental figures‖. This feat marked the
official use of conventional and academic European materials, techniques and styles of
executing art works in Nigerian schools. The combined efforts of these art teachers
produced budding and talented artists like J. D. Akeredolu, Akinola Lasekan, C. C. Ibeto,
Ibrahim Uthman, A. P. Umana and Ben Enwonwu. These artists individually made their
distinct landmarks in the propagation of visual arts. Aina Onabolu, however, apparently
dominated the contemporary Nigerian art scene for about two decades from the 1920s to the
1940s, and he continued to dominate until his death in 1963. Today, he is generally not only
regarded as the father of modern art and art education in Nigeria, but he lit the torch for a
dynamic contemporary art in modern Nigeria. The subject was further strengthened, when
Ben Enwonwu (1921-1994) who graduated from Slade School of Art in London, was
appointed the Federal Art Advisor. He, like Aina Onabolu, was exceptionally talented and
committed. He initiated and introduced a new concept (which was later known as natural
synthesis) in his art expression. He dominated the Nigerian landscape with innovative works
for about a decade (Babalola, 2004).
The first set of students in the persons of Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Bruce Onobrakpeya
and others, were admitted into the Nigerian Collage of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria
9
(now Ahmadu Bello University) in 1957. Art courses were made professional, based
entirely on the conventional academics of the European approach. Ikpakronyi (2009) notes
that the Europeans formed the bulk of the teaching staff and the programme came into real
focus. The students who were not satisfied with the European style of expression sought to
discontinue with the conventional approach. They gradually continued to distance
themselves from the Western artistic concepts and historical experiences that were alien to
them. They felt the need to create an identity to the African artists. Those who spearheaded
the desire for the change included Uche Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya, among others. On what
appears to be a justification for the step they took, Onobrakpeya (2003), one of the frontiers
of the Zarianists, states that the whole idea behind their activities was to save Nigerian
civilization and to salvage the personality of her people from the inferiority complex which
was the outcome of colonialism. He singled out Uche Okeke, who had experience in the
documentation and collection of folk art pieces, as their leader and states thus:
With his background, we were not surprise that Uche became the leader the
now famous society while still at the college. The members of the society
were guided by the synthesis concept, he advanced. Synthesis was recourse
to the root of our timeless values, which should be married to equal good
foreign values… It was in short, to create a rich artistic presence and a
hopeful future. As the Zaria Art Society left the college and dispersed to
different parts of Nigeria and abroad, the Synthesis Theory became cardinal
in their practice as painters, sculptors, teachers, media artists etc. This
widespread new artistic energy created a new renaissance, with respect to
the artist and the art in general.
Uche Okeke confirms their instructors‘ relegated Nigerian cultural values to the
background. He affirmed his leadership position of the Zaria Art Society when he also states
thus:
I was myself a member of the Zaria Art Society and its chairman from 1958
to 1961,…when most of its founding members graduated…The majority of
our instructors were British or British trained and we students opposed to the
system of teaching art subjects that ignored Nigerian cultural values,
10
restricted their method of imparting art knowledge and their preoccupation
with the study of nature, which in our view, was superficial.
When the Zaria Art Society was formed, the group used to meet formally and informally to
discuss the socio-cultural existence of the creative artists in the throes of change. Again, the
leader (Uche Okeke) in an interview granted Chika Okeke on the 31st August 1997 stated,
―We wanted to show Nigerian art and also have a distinct Nigerian character rather than
posturing as colonial transplant.‖ In another development, Oshinowo (2008), notes that the
formation of the Zaria Art Society was founded on a profound desire for political freedom.
He believes the formation fuelled the spirit of individualism in all members, and also
infused in their minds national consciousness and cultural pride. The author explains further
that the spirit of individualism culminated into a synthesis of indigenous and Western ideas.
The philosophy of natural synthesis was intensified, which later influenced almost all
succeeding generations of Nigerian artists and their art creations. Perhaps the doggedness of
the students in creating new consciousness, which ushered in what Filani in Konate (2004),
refers to as ―New African‖. In his study of the works of the graduates, Oloidi (2009)
observes that the pioneering students had acquired aggressive artistic radicalization of the
Zaria revolutionaries between 1958 and 1961. He observes that it prepared the foundation
for a solid artistic standard in modern Nigerian art.
Generations of artists keep expanding the boundaries of art expression as they seek new
vocabularies, materials, and techniques that enable them address new concerns. Diarra
(2017) contends that Africa‘s art scene is characterized by innovation and conceptual
profundity which has paved way for the next generation. Materials of different backgrounds
are used to create works to interpret and portray the society‘s socio-economic realities,
political challenges, rich tradition and diverse beauty. For instance, the Zaria Art Society
11
advocated Natural Synthesis for Art Expression which was a fusion of African motifs,
concepts and techniques with Western ideas (Ekpo, 2010). This concept led to other
experiments that developed with time. Individual artists over the years have appropriated
different unconventional material and techniques to express their feelings. Explorations and
experiments, earlier started in Zaria, brought radical reformation in art expression in
Nigeria. Nwoko‘s sculptural work with other artists of the Zaria Art Society caught the
attention of other contemporary Nigerian visual artists, who appropriated relevant materials
to address issues of the moment. Worthy of note is the Nigerian civil war, one sad event that
inspired artists with the Zaria Art Society members, particularly from the Eastern part of the
country (such as Uche Okeke, Obiora Uchechukwu, Chike Aniakor) who used their creative
abilities to react to the avoidance and the waste of the war.
Sowole (2013) observes that Alex Nwokolo metamorphosed from the use of one medium to
the other in his quest to be unique. The years of experiments in different media like Jean
Dubuffet of France, has made his art expression stronger. The author sees Alex Nwokolo
among the generation of Nigerian artists who have transited from one radical media to the
other, yet is still making impact. Sowole quotes Nwokolo thus:
The desire for change and the need to have a global perspective in my art
instigated a stimulus for this current direction in the evolution of my work.
The new experiment and materials offered me yet another opening to
contribute to an existing international calligraphy…and media derived from
everyday socio-cultural signs and symbolism, where elements are assembled
and dissected on to a surface resulting in a hybrid painting and sculpture.
In 1990, some young artists who christened themselves as Nogh-Nogh Art Group, a group
which included Danjuma Kefas, Babalola Tunde, Ayo Aina, Lasisi Lamidi, among others,
from the Fine Arts Department of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria became worried because
of the attitude of the public towards the types of artworks created by them, as they mostly
12
appropriated unconventional materials found in the environment. The group is experimental
in nature, and has embarked on organizing periodic workshops, seminars and exhibitions of
their works, with participants coming from all over the country. The peculiar nature of their
art creations attracted sympathy from other members of the community. Most of those who
shared in their ideology joined them in their regular meetings (Jari, 1994). It was in one of
the meetings that the group adopted the name Nogh-Nogh Art Movement. The word ―NoghNogh‖ is a derivation from the Nupe language, and means ―nonsense‖ (Jari 1994).
According to Danjuma (2002) one of the leaders of the movement, stated that from
inception the movement has always had unconventionality as its main goal. As the
movement kept growing, other goals such as creation of forums for discussion, and for the
propagation of the works of the members, were developed. Different found objects were
adopted by the participants in their art creations. This policy of freedom of expression
adopted by the movement has not only popularized the movement, but also attracted more
members. Members are further encouraged to appropriate materials and styles they think can
best express their feelings, and it did not seek to influence the adaptation of a particular
approach by its members. The group encourages simplicity of materials in all aspects of its
operation. Danjuma (1994) in his assessment of the activities of the group, contends that
their activities have positive effects on the artistic thinking of people who have come into
contact with them.
Another artist known for his experimental work in various materials within Nigeria and
beyond is the Ghanaian born sculptor, El Anatsui, who resides in Nigeria. Angie (2017) and
Diarra (2017) have individually written and alluded that El Anatsui is one of Africa‘s most
influential mixed-media artist, although he was trained as a sculptor. The artist has spent
much time in Nigeria, teaching at the University of Nigeria Nssuka. He uses different
13
unconventional materials as he could find them suitable and makes exquisite objects of
stunning visual impact. More recently, El Anatsui turned to installation and more complex
sewing techniques, which enable him to create art using unconventional materials like liquor
bottle caps and discarded pieces of metals for his large-scale assemblage art.
A Non-Governmental Organization striving hard to increase and develop the creative
abilities of artists in Nigeria is the Bruce Onokbrakpeya Foundation (BOF). It is an artist-led
organization formed in 1985, with a mission to engender the growth of art culture through
the provision of opportunities for artists to improve themselves through skills acquisition
and empowerment. Ekpo (2010) observes that since its inception, the Bruce Onokbrakpeya
Foundation has been an enduring player in the visual arts scene in Nigeria. The Foundation,
through its Annual Harmattan Workshop, encourages artists to use their creative powers
through appropriating any materials and techniques at their disposal to create. Works
produced at the end of the workshops are exhibited in different places. For example, it has
organized the Amos Tutuola Show, Lagos (2000), participated in the Commonwealth Heads
of State and Government Meeting (CHOGM) Exhibition, Abuja (2003), Art and
Democracy Exhibition, Asaba (2004) and the Harvest of the Harmattan Retreat Exhibition
organized in collaboration with the Pan Africa University, Lagos (2004). In 2012, the
Foundation featured the works of 20 artists at the Exhibition Bruce and Harmattan
Workshop Experiment at Kajino Station in Dakar, Senegal during the 2012 Biennial
Conference.
In 2005, another art group christened Art Is Everywhere emerged at the Nigerian art space.
The leader of the group is Ayo Adewumi, a lecturer at the Institute of Management and
Technology (IMT), Enugu. Membership of the group is made up of students and staff of
different institutions who share their ideology. As the name implies, they believe that art is
14
found everywhere and the environment has to be properly exploited. The group encourages
its members to scavenge the aquatic, creeks, mountains and the streets for materials for art
expression. Sowole (2003) in his study of the group, notes that their approach to art creation
is at sharp contrast to the regular art studio environment. The author observes that their
materials range from the wastes of electronic and electrical materials being assembled into
sculptural pieces to the plastic waste combined with other materials into figural renditions.
The emphasis of the content of the art of the group is on waste recycling and providing
avenues for training young artists and the less privilege on how to make a living from
recycling items. Since its inception, the concept has gained much acceptance and is
expanding in scope. The group has adopted A Travelling Workshop Policy to create public
awareness. The workshop has spread to places like Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Zaria, Lagos, and
Port Harcourt.
Contemporary Nigerian artists who appropriate unconventional materials strive to sensitize
the public on the viability of waste and found object as potent creative resources. They also
facilitate its practical engagement to budding artists. Artists have continued in the search for
the newest material and techniques using any kind of materials, including unconventional
media and techniques, to create new aesthetics. Some sections of the public still see the use
of unconventional media as a revolt against established standards of art creation (Gushem
2005).
Statement of the Problem
It true that bad economy of a country is one of the factors that affect creativity, but even
when the economy is good, some artists enjoy expressing themselves appropriating waste
products as their first choice. Today in Nigeria, art produced in unconventional materials
largely comes from waste and discarded materials. Works in these materials are subjected to
15
different interpretation. Odoja, Makinde, Ajiboye and Fajuyibe (2013) have expressed the
view that ―waste or junks are considered to be useless, discarded materials that are no longer
good enough and, therefore, need to be disposed as unwanted.‖ In the society, some people
have developed a mind-set that any material found in a location designated as rubbish is
concluded to have outlived its usefulness and is, therefore, irrelevant. People with that kind
of mind-set see such work as inept and a fraudulent means of art creation. They consider the
products as works without any artistic effort, even when elements and principles of design
are applied.
Gushem (2005), notes that, the use of waste for art creation (by people who have
preconceived thoughts on what art should be), is contradicting and against established
standards. Saliu (2005) admits that art products are capable of generating excitement as well
as controversy. Vigorous enlightenment embarked upon (by art historians through their
write-ups, groups like Bruce Onobrkpeya Foudation (BOF), Nogh-Nogh Art Group, Art is
Everywhere Project among others, to draw attention to the potential of waste materials for
art expression.
The problem of the study is that there are still arguments for and against works of art created
using unconventional materials in Nigeria. The conflicting views for or against art
productions in these materials are clamoured by some viewers including some artists. This
indeed is a controversy in the creative landscape. The study is therefore set to analyze, using
the works of the artists under study, in order to come up with a clear position on the
opposing opinions.
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Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to encourage upcoming artists to be open-minded in the use of
materials in their creative expression, while the specific objectives are to:
i. examine the backgrounds of the artists being studied;
ii. investigate the motivation for their use of unconventional materials in art
creations;
iii. interrogate what informed the artists‘ courage in art creations with
unconventional materials;
iv. find out the relevance of the thematic concerns in their individual compositions;
v. make comparative analysis of the materials the artists individually used; and to
vi. draw conclusion from the findings and suggesting direction of which creation of
art work should take as regards to the use of materials.
Research Questions
The study makes use of research questions for the collection of the data. The following
questions are formulated to guide the researcher towards the solutions to the problem, as
recommended by Leuizinger (1976) and Egonwa (2012).
i. What are the artistic backgrounds of the artists being studied?
ii. What motivated their use of unconventional materials their creations?
iii. What informed the artists‘ continuous art creations in unconventional materials?
iv. How relevant are the thematic concerns in their individual works?
v. How similar or different are the materials and techniques the artists used?
vi. Which material is most suitable for art expression?
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Justification of the Study
One of the challenges of the moment in art creation, is that imported art materials are
expensive in the market. Artists who continuously depend on these imported materials are
likely to be creatively frustrated and consequently rendered out of practice due to the cost of
the importating the materials. The experience of the French Expressionist painter, Jean
Dubuffet (1901) is a good example, when he explored and experimented with new and
crude materials that were not popular at that time. The works were derided, hated and
rejected. He and his colleagues took courage and kept exploring and experimenting. At the
end, they came up better and stronger. It therefore, takes the courage of an artist to gather
materials from unaccustomed environment and combine them in a new context.
From the experience of Dubuffet (1901) the French Expressionist painter whose works were
only later appreciated, Nogh-Nogh brought on those that come in contact with the group as
expressed by Kefas (1994), and the success of the Art is Everywhere project, expressed by
Odoh, George, Odoh, Nneka, Anikpe and Ekeke (2014), show art expression matures with
constant explorations and experiments. The copiousness of the unconventional materials
creates an opportunity for continuous experiment and exploration. Therefore, artists need to
exploit their aesthetic potentials for their art creations. The artists would freely exercise their
rights to freedom of expression, and discover new ways of transforming and representing
new concepts.
Significance of the Study
The significant of the study is that manipulating waste and found objects (which constitute
major materials used by the artists under study) into works of art, shows the innate creative
potentials that such materials possess. Unconventional materials exist in diverse forms and
18
are either man-made or naturally occurring. Generally, waste materials anywhere command
global attention as a result of its role in environmental degradation. Growing concerns on
climate change have made waste generation and management a topical issue. Perhaps this
made Ganiyu (2011) to state that one of the concerns of the environmental scientist is the
management of waste products, while another concern is to draw the attention of artists to
the realization that every geographical location is rich in the copiousness of materials for
artistic expression. Olbrantz (2006) is delighted that artists have explored the use of
different industrial wastes in producing art forms that are not only visually appealing, but
also environmentally friendly.
In the search for creative fulfillment, artists who have seen the creative potentials of these
materials have consistently explored the environment as a useful source of materials for
creative concepts. The materials are available and obtained with ease; the cost of production
is less; the materials provide new aesthetic windows for visual activities, thereby
encouraging entrepreneurship among adherents of the concept. Also, recycling of materials
into new contexts is encouraged.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
In the search for self-expression and creative fulfillment, the artists have consistently
experimented with wide range of materials as useful sources of ideas and materials. This
indeed is a wide subject considering the number of artists practising with different media.
Therefore, to carry out a comprehensive study of materials, there is the need to restrict the
study to a manageable scope, hence the choice of unconventional materials. The study is
further restricted to artists who remain consistent in using the unconventional materials for
their expressions. Nine (9) artists trained as painters and now using unconventional
materials to express themselves were selected. The study is delimited to their works in
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unconventional media that are accessible within Nigeria, most especially those in their
studios, homes and galleries.
The selected artists are Ayo Adewunmi, Ayo Aina, Ikechukwu Francis, Jerry Buhari, Mabel
Chukwu, Ndidi Dike, Nkechi Nwosu Igbo, Nsikak Essien and Sussan Ogenyi Omagu. The
reasons for the choice include: (i) constancy in the use of wastes in artistic production (ii)
creativity use of waste materials into new and unique context (iii) courage in the continuous
use of unconventional materials; and (iv) the fact that works produced addressed sociopolitical, religious, economic and environmental issues that impact on the lives of Nigerians.

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