Marriages Of Past, Present, Future Realities

Reviewed by: Adjekpagbon Blessed Mudiaga Title:- Old And New Inspirations From The Heart; Author:- Uche Nwosu; Publisher:- National Gallery of Art, Abuja, Nigeria; Some people see poets and fine-artists as mystical beings who conjure verses and images from astral realms beyond laymen imagination. This assumption is clearly depicted in the sublimity of Uche Nwosu’s verses and paintings invoked by the strokes of his brushes from various rivers of colours in ‘Old and New Inspirations From The Heart.’ It is an exhibition volume that

contains twelve poems and fifty-seven different types of artistic images of the highly imaginative poet and painter. This affirms the author as not just only a poet but an artist who portrays his feelings more outwardly in streams of colours and brush strokes as a formidable painter with dynamic electricity. In an acrylic on canvas (122cm x 184cm, 2003) painting titled ‘Colonisation,’ one is confronted with the reminiscence of colonialism depicting a grey-haired man seated on a floor with different objects such as Swastika symbol, British/American flags, cabbalistic tetragramaton, telephone handset, rocket launcher, and a host of other insignias that remind the viewer/observer about past, current and future traces of imperialism in our culture, religions, politics and social lifestyles. It is a commendable picture of how Africans are still being colonised by the western world, even though African countries claim to be sovereign states or nations. One other tantalising painting in the collection is titled ‘The Hunter and The Haunted, 1996.’ It is a monochrome of a nude and alluring female figure, with a big man behind her and a small man beside her. Both men are arrested by her charming curves and exposed breasts, as they salaciously focus on her; or perhaps, they could not control their feelings from gazing at her. Though the painting was done a long time (1996) ago, its messages are still as fresh as dawn, which thematically correlate with the message of the painting titled ‘Colonisation.’ But some questions begging for answers are: is it the nude lady that is colonising the two men, or is it the men that are colonising her? Every viewer/observer is entitled to his or her conclusion as regards the questions raised. Having assessed some of the author’s paintings, it is essential to evaluate his verses in the collection too. The first poem among the lot in the exhibition book is titled ‘Come Free,’ in which the painter cum poet muses about identifying the true character of who you are and what you stand for, devoid of pretense. Hence, the poem says: “Right is right / and left is wrong / White is light / and black is dark / Up is high / and down is low / Blue recedes like peace / and readily red approaches /. Know the truth / and its freedoms / Break the rules of enslavement / to the evil judges and / Their armoury of bad laws / I know where I am, here / Where are you? / “i” is me, / Who is “You”? / Now, take back your casket / I am still alive / Keep your religion / I am a believer, already free.” This piece no doubt could evoke different interpretations by different readers, whether from the perspective of religion, culture or politics. The poet says he is ‘already free’ as an enlightened mind, unlike many folks who are still culturally, religiously, politically, and tribally myopic and imprisoned in their ways of reasoning. The poem reminds the reader about Sly Cheney Coker’s poem titled ‘Myopia,’ which ridicules the follies of some so-called educated and civilise people. Another commendable piece in Nwosu’s collection of paintings, mixed media and conceptual works, is a poem titled ‘Memories of Laughter’ which bemoans the good old days when things were working reasonably well in Nigeria, but things are no longer at ease at present. A good example is; in the olden days when the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) which is now known as Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) wanted to take off electric power supply, there would be announcement to that effect on radio and television to forewarn folks in any environment to be affected by such power outage. But over a decade till now, the PHCN ceases and restores electric supply abruptly and haphazardly without informing the public; thereby disorganising industrial productivity and as well damaging individuals electrical/electronic home appliances. This type of fall from grace to grass is commonplace in all sectors of Nigeria’s socio-cultural, religious, political, economic, and communal activities. From the foregoing, one could say ‘Memories of Laughter’ is a nostalgic comparison of things in the days of yore and the now upside down civilisation with the smoke of concurrent corruption saturating in the air thus: “I lost my childhood / Vying for a role / The entire caste drunk / Drunk from shame at reality / And a decision to go fake / I sold my soul to the devil / Tied myself to his money / Lost my pride to a woman / Lost my name in the wind / My naivete to a craft in falsehood / And my personality to time / I now stand back and look / Wondering if I’d been right / I lost my mystique to the crowd / That wonders all confused / Now I return, facing Conscious Light / Asking back my laughter / With a vision of joy and loveliness / Aching for the peace of innocence.” What a loss of the good old times when Nigerians were truly Nigerians who cared for the goodness of one another, before the evil spirits of tribalism, ethnicity and Boko-Haramism became more further intensified, and now threatening to split the giant to pieces with osmosis of sorrow. With speeches and images emanating from brushes and colours in the wings of paintings (Fine-Art), married with melancholic tunes of poetic gusts of sad laughter to the wind of change and beyond, Nwosu has stamped his name not just only as a painter but a poet to reckon with in the footsteps of time; till sun, stars and moon may cease to smile. His verses are as deep and emotive like the images of his paintings embedded with mystical conjurations woven with past, present and futuristic interlinks in the voices of colours and brushes. Uche Nwosu studied Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (South-Eastern Nigeria) between 1986-1991. He specialises in Painting. He has participated in several local and international arts exhibitions. He is a contributor of reviews to the Guardian Newspaper, Lagos, and works at the National Gallery of Arts as a Chief Research Officer. He is also a former Secretary of Association of Nigeria Authors (ANA), Lagos chapter.