EXPERIMENTAL ART SCHOOL

Having stopped teaching art in a formal environment for over a decade, I found myself hungry to impart whatever knowledge and experience I had acquired over the years as my personal contribution to an ever changing art arena. I wanted to adopt my own approach to teaching the subject to art graduates, as well as grown ups who had never been exposed to art or artistic things. I also hoped to teach children as I consider them to be the most interesting pupils. Their innocence of mind and unlimited imagination are really to me the backbone to genuine creativity.

The three artists featured in this first in a series of experimental art workshops came from quite different backgrounds. Mr. Kayode, probably in his late 40’s has been an art teacher for over twenty years. With him, my main aim was to open his eyes to different possibilities in the interpretation of feelings and expression. Possibilities that would inevitably lead to works of art with greater depth and character.

Gbolahan is a young graduate from an art school in his mid twenties. His works though informed by the classroom have a vitality and freshness that gives it a warmth and familiarity that suggests he may well succeed if he chooses a career as a professional artist.

Peter is an Ifa priest in his late 30’s and had never studied art before our meeting. Of the three students, I believe he is the most likely to succeed as a professional artist. In this case, what he has not learnt, is in fact his advantage over his colleagues.

These three people came together to pioneer my experimental art school. We did not buy oil tubes or acrylics from art stores, we started by studying motifs from nature after which we sourced whatever materials we needed from our surroundings.

For canvas we used jute bags and for paints we went looking on the earths surface, blessed with a rainbow of colours……………if you know where to look!

Tola Wewe's EXPERIMENTAL ART CLASS FOR ADULTS comes to NIMBUS ART CENTRE, every Wednesday evening
7:00pm to 9.00pm
Registration: N10,000    Fees: N1,000 per class