On the Ona movement
When a few days ago I went to the opening of Moyo Okediji and Tola Wewe’s exhibition “The return of our mother” little did I know that behind the polite pleasantries of the opening speeches there were substantial art historical issues coming to the fore.
Neither Moyo nor Tola referred much to the origins of the Ona movement. Nevertheless, on Friday July 29, 2011 Moyo Okediji published in several Lagos newspapers an important article titled: Beyond Dispute: Origins and Travail of the Ona Art Movement . In it, he gives a brief, but clear, account of the beginnings of the Ona Movement.
This is very good news for those of us concerned about the dearth of rigorous documentation on the development of modern Nigerian Art. I hope Moyo, and the other members of Ona, can expand this summary story and provide a more detailed and comprehensive account of the movement.
This is the “hottest topic” in Lagos art circles, so, in case you missed it, I copy the links to the article as it appeared in The Guardian, 234 Next, and The Nation.
I wonder what Moyo thinks about the way the website of the Federal Ministry of Information and Communications refers to Ona.
.’..dearth of rigorous documentation on the development of modern Nigerian Art’…hmmm…lessons to be learned..