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NIGERIA: The Artistic Work of Children of the Save our Soul Village
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Submitted by IQ4News on Mon, 31/10/2011 - 11:00am
Olaoluwa Smith is a graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from the University of Benin who got into the Save Our Soul village as a baby.
He is very emotional when he speaks of the SOS village, “ The SOS took care of me, nurtured me to the level that I am at and my arts skill was recognized by one of my primary school teachers at age 10”.
Mr. Smith who is now 27 said that he has been painting for over 15 years, and his art has give life a meaning.
He adds that painting has been both fulfilling and rewarding for him; and his paintings reflect the activities in the society.
Biodun Okemakinde’s story is no less inspiring. According to him, he was brought to the home when he was a day old.
“I have always loved art from my childhood and after secondary school, the SOS introduced me to a famous Nigeria artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, a renowned Nigeria print maker and I worked with him for five years”.
Mr. Makinde gathered immeasurable experience from his mentor and decided to major in print making and mixed media.
Makinde likes to experiment with his art has been an artist for over 14 years. He is now fully settled out of the SOS village and married with kids and even though he faces challenges reclaiming debts owed him by his clients, his life is a testimony of what deeds of kindness can spur.
According to Makinde “the village led to this level I am now”.
For Omobolaji Johnson, his passion is fashion, “after my secondary school, I decided to go into fashion designing, I attended singers school of fashion at Mushin”. Mr. Johnson said his skills were finally honed at the SOS vocational school.
Mr. Johnson makes beaded bags, necklaces and unique pieces and as regards the business being profitable, Johnson had this to say “sure, I sell a lot of my items in shops both in Nigeria and abroad, I receive good patronage”.
The stories of Smith, Okemakinde and Johnson are but three extraordinary stories of the accomplishments kindness can arouse.
On the 24th-28th October, at the National Gallery of Art, Iganmu, Lagos, laid exquisite artworks of different of different genre-paintings, printmaking, beading and more by young artists who were given opportunities.
It is a tale of hope at the art exhibition organized by the SOS village an independent nongovernmental social development organization.
The artists whose works were exhibited at the gallery were orphaned or abandoned as babies.
They grow up with an SOS mother and are nurtured from kindergarten through nursery and primary school and then to adulthood.
Speaking with IQ4News, Mrs Uche Odiase, who is head of fund raising and communication of the SOS children village, explained that one of the motives of the SOS village is to nurture the talents of every child in the home to their fullest capacity.
She said that the children live with an SOS mother till they are about to 14-16 when they move into youth homes in the SOS village.
“From there they attend universities or vocational centres, colleges or education depending on the capability of the child.”
“There is an education advisor and youth counselors who follow the children development plan from their young age to channel their talents into good use” she narrated.
Her explanations shed light on the foundation of the artists from the SOS home whose artworks illuminated the gallery.
Mrs. Odiase said that the exhibition is the second edition since 2010. According to Mrs. Odiase, “The first edition was a very successful outing”.
She said that the exhibitions are aimed at encouraging the SOS children. “We try to expose their works at the exhibitions and we invite art lovers, the general public to come and patronize their work” she said.
Mrs. Odiase said that SOS artists’ talents always shone through at the exhibitions and “some companies and individuals pledge to buy the remarkable artwork created by the SOS youth”. She said satisfied participants of the exhibitions call the SOS home to request some of the artworks the youths created.
According to Mrs. Odase, the patronage by companies and individuals reaffirm and encourage the artists, but more so, it gives hope to the budding talents back at the SOS homes.
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