I am awed and greatly thrilled by
the sheer idea of the ‘Living Legends’
project, especially the just concluded outing in November this year. For four hours
General Yakubu Gowon (rtd) sat as a model before a mix of Nigerian artists –
young, old and renowned, in one of the meeting rooms of the famous Transcorp
Hilton Hotel, Abuja. This portrait session was the fourth in the episodes of
‘Living Legends’ – a series of live portrait sessions in honour of some of
Nigeria’s outstanding living personalities especially having to do with the
art(s). It first took off in 2008 and is fast aiming to become a global project
someday soon.
This recent outing was in keeping
with the high standards the organisers have always maintained since its
inception; it was also apart from honouring the former military head of state for his outstanding statesmanship, and patronage and support for the arts, at the same time to celebrate the General at eighty. This
awesome event was perfectly put together by the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) in collaboration with Olu Ajayi Studios who are the
initiators of this laudable project, and managed by Eki Eboigbe.
The past ‘legends’ to whom this
kind of honour has been done include – the erudite Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya, Prof Yusuf Grillo, Omo N’Oba Nedo Uku Akpolokpolo, Erediauwa - the Oba of Benin,
Prof Wole Soyinka, and Prof John Pepper Clark Bekederemo. And from the ten
artists who turned up, a sizeable number of portraits in drawings and paintings
were churned out while the retired General posed. In the midst of it classical and cool jazz
music filtered through from a live bandstand led by Ayo Bankole at the background to
soothe the atmosphere, calming the nerves of both model and artists alike.
