Indeed, Olubukola Bolarinde has made a name for herself as a Nigerian artist setting the pace as she prepares to reveal her entire repertoire, curated for over two years, in a private exhibition on Friday at Eko Atlantic Lakes.
The exhibition, labeled 106 art, follows the release of his critically acclaimed 2018 film Onigiri, which will also be shown in Venice, Italy later in the year.
In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES at an event held on Victoria Island, the Lagos State-born filmmaker and artist revealed the reasons behind her passion for preserving Nigerian culture and telling stories through art.
“I am a storyteller, a creative. My works of art are stories. Each piece carries its unique message and tells a different story, transporting you to a place, time, scene, experience or emotion,” he said.
“The stories that surround me inspire my art. Stories that I have experienced first hand, stories that have been told to me. Art is a means of self-expression. Art is life. My art is a medium through which I connect with its audience.”
The arts of Balarinde
Deeply rooted in Yoruba culture, Ms. Balarinde was born into a family with six children. Her father is from Okemesi-Ekiti in Ekiti State, while her mother was a native of Ibadan in Oyo State. However, she spent her formative years in northern Nigeria.
He traveled during his formative years from Jos to Kaduna and then to Zaria, a feat that allowed him to establish some remarkable senses of identity and diversity in Nigerian culture.
His understanding of the aesthetic metropolis of Northern Nigerian culture is evident in paintings such as Wusasa.
She said: “Zaria is predominantly a Muslim city, and in those days when we were there, we were told never to enter the city of Zaria without covering our hair. It is forbidden. You cannot enter with pants as a woman. We were always fascinated by that, and beyond the Zaria city walls is the Emir’s Palace.”
Portrait of Olubukola Bolarinde
“But outside the city of Zaria, there are Christian communities and there is a village called Wusasa, which is part of the places where I grew up. In the center of Wusasa is this mud building that looks like an old castle, but it is a church called Saint Bartholomew,” he said.
Explaining in more detail how his life in the north influenced his art, he said: “You know that Kaduna has a long history of religious crises that resulted in murders and very bloody situations, and there was one of those crises when all the churches were burned down, and St. Bartholomew’s was also burned down, but the building never burned down – it still stands to this day and is the centerpiece of my exhibition.
“So, I made a tribute to Saint Bartholomew. I almost even molded Saint Bartholomew to show the rustic nature. I brought the roughness and the texture that you can almost feel, touch, and you are there. It tells you that story and transports you to Wusasa.”
According to the famous painter, other paintings that evoke similar effects include images of Makoko at night, Eyo, Christ Church Cathedral, and Durbar, among others.
Inspiration
Speaking about her commitment to preserving Nigerian culture through her exhibition, the filmmaker said: “I am telling a story about our culture, people and land. When you look at my artwork, it’s a whole African story; there is a story in each. My backgrounds and influences merge into my art and translate into my pieces.”
“My art transports you to places, times, people and cultures. You will see many African faces and people in African attire. For example, you see a lady in Jalabia, all wrapped up. Immediately, she stands out in the North. You see a Durbar man on horseback and he transports you there. You see the Eyo with the kings and you know you are in the south,” he said.
Bolarinde, who started painting in 2020 during the pandemic, said she had always had an innate passion for the arts.
106 art exhibition
Billed as the first of its kind in this part of the world, Ms. Bolarinde will present the art exhibition in her first solo show.
The exhibition titled ‘106 Expressions’, curated by Nike Davies-Okundaye, is the first of its kind to feature 85 works of art and two fashion designers who will display ten fabrics each on the catwalk and on a construction site.
According to her, she is breaking conventional norms to give people a unique experience.
She said: “106 Expressions is a collection of artworks that celebrate our African heritage, people and culture. I was inspired by my experiences as an African child.”
“The works transport you to a place and a time, perceived through the mind of an African child. A different time from the times we live in now. Many children have not had and never will have these experiences as our world evolves.”
Speaking about the location, Ms. Bolarinde said that it would be based on her natural habitat as an architect, which is the construction site.
“For the first time, I am setting up an exhibition in such a place and building it from scratch. It is the first of its kind in Nigeria to host such a show on a construction site; in an unfinished building, I draw people in and immerse them in an experience that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
So that immersive experience, walking from start to finish at Eko Atlantic City, is exhibit number 106.”
However, the title of the exhibition goes beyond the number of works on display. It’s a play about his birthday, June 10; therefore, the event is also scheduled to celebrate his birthday.
versatile artist
Ms. Bolarinde, a graduate in architecture and urban and regional planning from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, wears many hats in the creative industry that describe her as a unique storyteller of her time.
As a writer, her descriptive prowess as a storyteller translates through her art.
Although her tertiary education began in Zaria, Ms Bolarinde has an MSc in Design and Environmental Engineering from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL).
However, he began his career in architecture where he worked with James Cubitt Architects for four years before entering the banking industry where he worked with Standard Charted Bank as a project manager setting up branches from start to finish and designing for the bank in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.
He delved into the oil and gas industry while working with Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited. She was promoted to managing director of the subsidiary company FO Properties Limited.
She is currently Director of Real Estate and Facilities Management (REFM) for Nigeria and Regional Director of REFM Performance for Ericsson Limited in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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