By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor
Ahead of its 3rd edition, Artmiabo International Art Festival, AMIAF, 2024 is gradually unfolding what will be one of the most historic gathering of artists in Africa’s creative history. The AMIAF 2024 edition is genre-specific, converging contemporary sculptors while celebrating the modern era.
With its theme, Sculptor’s Odyssey, the 2024 edition of AMIAF, which holds from April 27-May 1, 2024, at EbonyLife, Victoria Island, Lagos, will be a celebration of the spiritual energies that inspire artists to create masterpiece artworks.
As the third edition of AMIAF is expected to expand visual arts horizon beyond the regular themes, the event will be consolidating on the achievement of the second edition. To be curated by Yusuf Durodola, Sculptor’s Odyssey, according to the organisers will assert the richness of the yearly AMIAF after its last edition held early this year, which converged visual arts and music, with specific focus on Afrobeats.
Apart from its format of showing artists in studio gallery format, AMIAF 2024 will also be celebrating select sculptors from the modern and contemporary periods. Four artists, according to founder, Miabo Enyadike, will be given awards. “AMIAF 2024, will be awarding four brilliant artists that have created sculpture pieces around social economic structures,” Enyadike disclosed during a preview. “They in their own way artistically have made sculpture pieces that describe narratives visually that gives us an understanding of what and who they represent.”
Enyadike announced the Sculptor’s Odyssey awardees to include Prof. Ben Enwonwu, for Posthumous Award, being one of the prominent departed Nigerian modernists. Included in the Sculptor’s Odyssey Award are contemporary artists: Adeola Balogun, Dotun PopoOla and Adebisi Adebayo.
“The theme of Artmiabo International Art Festival 2024 edition is a celebration of the sculptor’s spirit—a testament to the transformative power of raw materials shaped by the artist’s hands, carving stories into stone, wood, metal, and imagination,” Enyadike said. “It is a voyage that transcends the physical and delves into the metaphysical, inviting artists and enthusiasts alike to traverse the rich tapestry of sculptural expression.”
Enyadike says it takes great intellectual mind to be a sculptor. According to her, sculptors turn “nothing into absolute fantastic artwork!” She argues that the place to see the best of sculptures in 2024 is the 3rd edition of AMIAF. “In the heart of Lagos, where creativity converges and narratives unfold, we welcome you to the 2024 edition of the Artmiabo International Art Festival. This year, we embark on a profound journey into the realm of sculpture, exploring the boundless landscapes of the “Sculptor’s Odyssey.”
For the exhibiting artists, the 2024 edition of AMIAF comes with the challenge to create art that goes beyond objects of aesthetics, Enyadike disclosed. “As we navigate this artistic odyssey, we challenge conventional perceptions and invite artists to forge new paths, echoing the ethos of Lagos—a city known for its resilience, diversity, and ever-evolving narrative,” she said as parts of her preview texts. “The sculptures to be exhibited will not merely be static forms; they will be vessels of stories that carry the essence of the sculptor’s exploration into the depths of human experience, culture, and emotion.”
Highlighting the achievements of the AMIAF awardees, Enyadike said Enwonwu “is a distinguished and Pioneer Artist/Sculptor, whose ‘Art Odyssey’ paved the way for millions of Nigerian Artists, home and abroad, through his socio-political sculptures that reflect on his own ‘Sculptors Odyssey.’” She eulogised the late Enwonwu for inspiring artists to “dream big, and he showed us in clear terms the possibilities out there as a Nigerian Artist.”
On Balogun’s career, Enyadike said the sculptor is a globally recognized multimedia artist who has made substantial contributions as both a sculptor and mentor, particularly in the realm of education. Balogun combines his studio practice and academic career as art teacher successfully.
Enyadike also eulogised Popoola as an inspiring multimedia artist “dedicated to creating inspirational sculptural pieces that center around environmental themes.” She described Popoola as “internationally recognized for his ability to craft sculptures with a keen focus on environmental sustainability.”
The only female among the awardees, Adebisi, came to the attention of Enyadike through the social media with her craft. “Adebisi brought a breath of fresh air to the 2022 edition of AMIAF, captivating the audience with her live carving skills. Since then, she has carved a niche for herself in her own sculptor’s odyssey.”
AMIAF came into the Nigerian art space with a debut edition themed Remake the World, which showed 24 artists from Africa and Europe, with gallery representation from France and South Africa.