Adjustments are taking place in our every day lives, good or dangerous, the world continues to evolve. Progress or growth occurs even when individuals attempt to maintain on to the previous. There's not a lot we are able to do about individuals who preserve remembering the best way issues was once; the traditions and cultures that change blow away. Tony Enebeli is a type of individuals. His artwork clings to the previous. Nevertheless, you’ll find that it solely clings to the nice issues from the previous. Most of his artwork focuses on the custom of individuals within the Anioma space – their festivals, cultures, customs, every day life – all these issues that modernity has eroded. A few of these festivals right this moment are little greater than a forgotten model of what they was once. His Ukpalabo collection is in regards to the large ceremony in his village. The time within the yr when all members of the village who reside exterior the village are anticipated to return house.
To mark this event, the oldest girls of the village, adopted by a procession, stroll right into a hut and break a gourd. For many individuals residing within the cities, any such exercise will not be even a reminiscence, it’s simply one thing that’s unusual. For some it’s a distant reminiscence. These festivals, like many features of Enebeli's themes, are rapidly disappearing. His works are data displaying that this stuff ever existed; testomony for a future era. Some artists select to seize the nice and the dangerous. His themes take care of the extra nice features of our previous and ignore the darkish underside of the current previous. The festivals are cheerful, the individuals energetic, the patterns nice and uncomplicated.
Enebeli's work depicts the wealthy African tradition and traditions. The gorgeous statue must be cherished and displayed in artwork galleries in Nigeria. He leaves the darkish, difficult aspect of the previous to different artists. He’s keen about African festivals and says his mission is to bridge the hole between the outdated traditions and the brand new methods so that individuals can see the place they arrive from and higher admire the place they’re going . He emphasizes that the previous will not be solely in regards to the shrines and the occult, but in addition in regards to the lovely festivals that introduced individuals collectively. Enebeli determined early on to discover the Nigerian custom. Nevertheless, he was clear about what he needed to realize and noticed the re-organisation of those festivals and occasions as a software, a software to uncover the gems which might be quick disappearing from Nigerian society: sharing, caring, concord and unity.
Supply: The Hour Glass Gallery
Artwork design: Enebeli Tony
