Friday, September 18, 2015

ARTZERO Exhibition: Visual Artists Feast on Thoughts at Alliance Francaise

ARTZERO is an artistic and creative platform for synergistic activities between visual artists and allied stake holders in the creative community. Thus Mr. Ato Arinze and his crew as spearheads of this coming together of creative energies have worked resiliently to keep the fire of this communion alive.

'Sobriety' - Ink on paper by Morgan Nwanguma

And for a period of time spanning 2002 and now, ARTZERO has endeavoured to pull creative forces together in collaborative efforts to foster a cross fertilisation of ideas, thoughts and styles. This vision has also encouraged in no small measure a reawakening in the visual arts, in that artists who many at times wrongly or rightly may be construed as recluses, and ungregarious, are given the opportunity to congregate with a common goal in refreshing atmosphere. 


Artists at ARTZERO exhibition

From the time when the forum stepped out to do the popular ‘art on the mainland’ shows till date, the ARTZERO community which is actually a roving entity, is at this present moment staging a rich annual feast in the current art exhibition (12 – 26 Sept, 2015) holding at the friendly and cosy ambiance of Alliance Francaise in Yaba, Lagos. This initiative is obviously promoting friendship and harmony among creative colleagues and people of the arts – artists, writers, collectors, students, etc, and all hands should be on deck to encourage its continuity.

Strictly black on paper

What can one say – but to relish in the numerous styles, shades of blackness in both strong and subtle strokes of monochromatic rendering – only on paper. More than 52 richly presented pieces of black colour on white paper expressions were just as if black-only renditions have never been so put together. This culmination which started out with the earlier experimentation of workshops and seminars is bound to mature even further.

ARTZERO members

The freedom expressed in the various individual styles gave out an aroma that could only be served in the way and manner that it came - refreshingly BLACK. Thus putting together a sumptuous event as is the package under one roof - of the French cultural centre, can only be in the light and aggregation of spirits kindred, and frolic.

,Thoughts in Lines,


The 26 artists that collaborated in this successful outing thus expressed themselves candidly in variegated dance of blackness; they came in vibrating strokes, delicate lines, and sombre hues in – lead or graphite, charcoal, ink, and pastel. In this potpourri is an admixture of the younger and the elder generations in a harmonious performance – thinking aloud and vibrantly in line(s) as it were. In the midst of it saw a nostalgic appearance of Moses Osawe, famous cartoonist of Pa Johnson fame in the eighties, and notable painter and art lecturer, Bernard Onyemaobi, both featuring as guest artists.

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