Highlights from the 2022 Lagos Book and Art Festival

 

Highlights from the 2022 Lagos Book and Art Festival

The 2022 annual Lagos Book & Art Festival (LABAF) opened on Monday November 14 at the popular Freedom Park on Lagos Island in Nigeria. 

LABAF 2022 is specifically dedicated to Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, the most phenomenal Nigerian artist and the most published African artist who is famous for his intriguing prints, paintings and sculptures. He has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C; the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden, National Museum and National Art Gallery in Lagos among other places in his illustrious career as an iconic visionary of contemporary art in over five decades since 1957 to date. He celebrated his 90th birthday on August 30. 

Onobrakpeya spoke about his life and works as a artist during an exhibition of his installations.  A short documentary film on his popular Harmattan Workshop in his homeplace, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State was screened and Co-founder of CORA and LABAF, the polymath and patron of the arts, Toyin Akinosho spoke on how Onobrakpeya has been part of LABAF from the very beginning.

There was a symposium on "Our Inheritance: What I Took From Bruce" by Barret Akpokabayen, Kunle Adeyemi, Juliet Ezenwa, Oguchukwu Ejiofor and Nse Abasi Inyang.

Later famous veteran artist and administrator, Pa Timothy Adebanjo Fasuyi and Prof. Ebun Clark spoke about the early years of Onobrakpeya from being one of the "Zaria Rebels" at the Ahmadu Bello University whilst studying fine arts to the later years moderated by Mufu Onifade, artist and arts writer.

 

LABAF 2022 on the theme of "Pathways to the Future" runs from November 14-20 at the Freedom Park and virtually via Zoom and on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. 

Acclaimed Nigerian filmmaker, Tunde Kelani's "Saworoide" and "Lift"  by young filmmaker, Abraham Amkpa were screened on the opening day. Kelani was present for the Q&A interactive conversation with the audience on his political film produced in 1999.

LABAF 2022 is the 24th edition of the hybrid international book fair and art festival founded in 1999 by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), as a literary and visual festival for “freedom of creative expression to herald the rebirth of Democratic governance in Africa’s biggest nation”. There are over 50 books in focus with over 60 independent sessions of literary conversations, visual arts (fine and applied arts and crafts); performances in poetry, drama, dance, music and sociocultural interactions with participants in Nigeria and other countries. 

The Curator/Director, Jahman Anikulapo, said the discourse around "Pathways to the Future" is meant to “figure a way out of the ‘State of Flux’ which led us to a ‘Fork in the Road. See the programmes on https://www.lagosbookartfestival.org.