Cultural art: Expert calls for international exhibition
NAN-ELS -11
Exhibition
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Oct. 13, 2016 (NAN) A sculptor, Mr Izueke Okolo, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Council for Arts and Culture, has called for more international platforms for the exhibition of Nigeria’s peculiar cultural art.
Okolo made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.
He said that there are not enough platforms to showcase Nigerian arts and culture abroad.
“Nigeria has cultural peculiarities or traits in aspects of arts, crafts, cuisine, dance, music, folklore, dress code and language, which should also be improved on and rebranded for the global market.
“At the state and national levels, yearly exhibitions on arts, crafts and cuisine usually ends there without these exhibitors being exposed to international experience.
“Nigeria’s art and culture should be streamlined and repackaged, and as a matter of fact be held yearly at our embassies all over the world just like the Chinese embassy does yearly.”
He said that not every artiste has the opportunity to showcase his works or export Nigerian arts to other countries or continents.
“There are few international exhibitions where very few of our members put their works on display, but not everyone can afford such exhibitions.
“For our works to be exported, the government should through our embassies create more avenues in other countries where Nigerian works of art will be exhibited,” he said.
“We should take our culture and art to them just like the Chinese and Japanese do all over the world on a regular basis.
“As a result of this, these countries’ cultures and traditions are being widely propagated around the world.
“Occasionally, we exhibit Nigerian arts in both local and international arts exhibitions, but not everyone is opportune to attend these exhibitions due to financial constraints and visa problems.
“Nigerian arts will be better appreciated in other countries if Nigerian embassies abroad could provide a yearly platform where the country’s arts and culture could be exhibited.
“Nigeria is so richly blessed in terms of culture that we owe it to our generations yet unborn, and to the global community to spread this rich and colourful endowment,” he said. (NAN)
EPA/MST/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola