Nigerian artist,Ato Arinze, and his Cameroonian counterpart, DjakouKassi Nathalie, will from November 12 to 19, 2016 show their works in a creative ceramics sculptures and potteries exhibition titled, ‘Beyond Functions’.
To take place at Moorehouse Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, it is presented in conjunction with Alliance Francaise Lagos, Moorehouse Hotel Ikoyi and Potters in Town.
Arinze, who said in his statement for the exhibition that his thoughts, concept and feelings are influenced by nature and events, is the co-founder and coordinator of one of the most popular art groups in Lagos,Artzero Group.
The group, for the past decade, has been the platform for promoting the works of young and up-and-coming artists living within and outside Lagos, with their flagship annual exhibitions – art on the mainland and art on paper.
The shape and forms of each work, Arinze stated, depends solely on his vision as inspired by activities around him and world news.
“I love trees. I like to listen to their silent voices in nature, to reflect on their salient lessons and how we as human can connect these teachings to our world. Time was when trees were everywhere; but today, we have lost them to concrete walls in the name of development. The environment is at a big loss for this reason. Hence, we must take the plant-a-tree campaign seriously,” he stated.
With over 20 years of studio practice as a ceramics sculptor, his love for the clay medium and perfection in handling the material has endeared him to art patrons. He has organised and facilitated many seminars and workshops on creativity, art business, pottery and sculpture. He is a sculpture graduate from Art, Design and Printing Department, Yaba College of Technology in 1991.
Born in 1966, he hails from Onitsha in Anambra State, and has participated in several exhibitions both within and outside the country with his work well represented in private and public collections.
In 2002, he received the Solidra Award for Sculpture and Pottery, and was honoured by the Society of Nigerian Artists with the SNA Distinguished Artist Award in 2008.
Among his 13 works in the exhibition are ‘I Love Syria’, ‘Immigrants’, ‘Two Trees’, ‘Vessel With Motifs’, ‘Tree of Life V’ all of which are of fired clay and were made this year.
Nathalie, who has 16 works to showcase, including ‘Chaos’, ‘The Book’, ‘Warning Obesity’, ‘Erosion’, ‘Labyrinth’, ‘Ecosysteme’, all of which she made this year, was born in Cameroon in 1975 and has a degree in Ceramics.
In her statement for the Lagos showcase, she said her passion for ceramics and creative art has been with her since childhood.
“I have used many materials like cement, copper, plaster, wood, iron; but clay is still the best medium [for me]. I use many techniques in my works, modelling, mould engraving, sculpture, glazing,” she stated.
She explained that her work is especially based on clay and finished with many types of colours, especially glazes.
The art teacher, who in 1998 introduced materials technology programme to her students, said she is inspired by nature, animals and the environment.Whereas her themes are between modernity and tradition and all subjects are of interest to her.
In the same 1998, she co-directed the mosaics design at the shrine of the Yoko church in Yaounde, capital of Cameroon.
She had received the special award for Young Talents in 1995.
In 2003, she participated in the workshop/symposium facilitated by the German artist,OdoRumpf,organised by the Hurbert Friedrich Foundation in Yaounde.
She was appointed the manager of the ceramic workshop in 2005 at the Art Centre in Mbalmyo, where she worked for nine years.
In 2008, she participated in an exhibition with other women artists at theNational Museum for the CEMAC Summit (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa). In 2011, she participated in the contest of Blackbird Suisse, while in 2012, she won first prize on African Creativity in the International Exhibition of Handicrafts of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso (SIAO). The same year, she won the Excellence Diploma from Ministry of Craft, and in 2013 she was second best Craftsman of the Year, among many other awards. She is currently living and working in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
