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Sculptures of Sokari Douglas Camp, ‘Alali Aru’ and ‘Primavera’: Recipe for National Development

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Sculptures of Sokari Douglas Camp, ‘Alali Aru’ and ‘Primavera’: Recipe for National Development INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, JUNE2020 VOLUME 10 NO 1 ISBN 978-0-213168-1 Sculptures of Sokari Douglas Camp, ‘Alali Aru’ and ‘Primavera’: Recipe for National Development Charles G. T. Omuaru 08033364500 [email protected] Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Rumuolumeni, P. M. B. 5047 Port Harcourt Abstract The Diaspora issue has been a front burner and topical both at the local and international levels; the discussions permeate the good and bad. However, of recent, various countries have seen the need to assess and reassess its value, activating its potential for national goals and achievements, as well as protect its border from unlawful immigrants, in order not to jeopardise its structure and deprive citizens opportunities created for them. From the home front, the Diaspora issue has been reassessed and given a place of importance today; considering its contribution to national development. This paper, “Discursive Analysis of Sculptures of Sokari Douglas Camp, ‘Alali Aru’ and ‘Primavera’ recipe for National Development” examined the contribution to national development with respect to the visual arts campaign on image laundering of the country by one of its Diaspora artists, Sokari Douglas Camp. The author reviewed literature from the print media and the internet on the artist’s historical background, ideology, technical and material usage, which ultimately influenced her style. The paper further analysed her two works, “Alali Aru” and “Primavera” and ascribed circumstantial meaning based on symbols of the cultural background the works are situated. The paper concludes that, the artist’s trajectory artistic enterprise has earned her a place of pride at the international art scene; the author therefore posits that, through these efforts the artist has contributed to national development. Keywords: Discursive Analysis, Sokari Douglas Camp, Alali Aru, Primavera and National Development. Introduction The campaign to transform African traditional sculptures to contemporary art form, demystify its psychological import and take away the fear shrouded it, is further expanded to cover wider dimension of the Nigerian art scene and Diaspora. Notable among the artistic spread is that of Sokari Douglas Camp, a Nigerian by birth, metal sculptor, and a Diaspora 124 www.sunmesjournals.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, JUNE2020 VOLUME 10 NO 1 ISBN 978-0-213168-1 Nigerian. The artist has made remarkable contributions to the projection and campaign of African arts, specifically the Kalabari cultural and masquerade sculptures in the Western societies. This paper, therefore examines her works from two perspectives; the transmutation of Kalabari masquerades to contemporary sculptures and painting to a piece of metal sculpture. Sokari Douglas Camp’s contributions to the Arts is countless and invaluable on the scale of developmental projects committed by many Nigerian artists living abroad. Reckon to say, the Diaspora project is a huge investment, and thus benefit both the host country and the homeland. The study acknowledges the United Nations definition of Diaspora as; consists of people of African origin living out of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, willing to contribute to the development of the continent and building the African union, (Wapmuk, Akinkuotu and Ibonye, 2004: 299). The phenomenon constitute a continual bridge between the homeland and the host; a building block that stimulates significant economic growth for both countries. For the purpose of this study, Nigerian Diaspora is conceptualized as those Nigerians, living outside the country, not minding their ethnic, religions, region that contribute to the development of Nigeria and the host countries. It is of necessity to conceptualise national development, vis a vis, individual contributions to nation building. The word, Development in its variant meaning is contextual, it denotes physical enlargement, cultural improvement, and non-material well-being. For the former, it reflects buoyant economy, (individual achievements, collective and national development), structural improvement such as infrastructures, progressive education, welfare, improvement of health services, better legal systems and functional democracy. Other salient sector is the non physical, which is the culture industry, includes visual and non visual arts, tourism, 125 www.sunmesjournals.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, JUNE2020 VOLUME 10 NO 1 ISBN 978-0-213168-1 national heritages and the preservation of national natural endowment of the people. Sadly, perceived opinions of people expect government to do the magic and provide everything for everybody, whereas, it is expected, as citizens, whether, in the country or in the Diaspora, has a responsibility to contribute to homeland. With respect to Sokari Douglas Camp’s contribution to national development, her commitment and developmental strides are discernable and commendable, especially of the visual arts (sculpture). In this regard, attention is drawn to sculptural projects and exhibitions all over the world, winning awards and trophies, using her Kalabari cultural and artistic background as her source of inspiration. Through this vehicle, she adapts Kalabari traditional art forms to create modern artistic genre, thereby projecting Kalabari arts and culture on global platforms. Background Study of Sokari Douglas Camp Sokari Douglas Camp is one of the most celebrated Nigerian artists living in the Diaspora. She is deeply motivated by the kalabari cosmology, its cultural nuances; masquerade festivals she had witnessed in her early childhood, folk tales she had heard and experiences during her early childhood and visits to the native land, Buguma. Buguma is located in the heart of the Niger Delta, Rivers State, Nigeria. She is a Nigerian by birth, parented by Buguma indigenes of Kalabari, an extraction of the Ijo tribe of Rivers state, where she spent major part of her childhood life. At her early age, her relationship with Whiteman, the renowned kalabari Ekine Sekibo, (a Member of the famous kalabari ancient traditional masquerade cult) an Anthropologist, versed in Kalabari culture and traditions, late, Professor Robin Horton. She was tutored under the guardianship of the anthropologist, consequently, this association provided her the opportunity to travel to Europe and other Western Countries for her education and Arts practice. She continued to live, schooled, married and had her 126 www.sunmesjournals.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, JUNE2020 VOLUME 10 NO 1 ISBN 978-0-213168-1 children in the Diaspora, and became cultural and artistic ambassador to the Kalabari people in the arts and culture, by transforming the ancient art forms to modern sculptural genre. Her schooling and art training began at the California college of arts and crafts in Oakland, California (1979 80), where she got her Bachelor of Arts degree, at the central school of Art and Design, between 1980 to 1983, London. By the year 1983 and 1986, she had obtained a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art. At the student level, Sokari Dongles Camp won several awards and scholarships at the local and international level, as a budding and aspiring artist: Career and Artistic Practice She is by record one of the most internationally celebrated Nigerian sculptors; her works are basically steel, welded to create human forms in different contra postures in addition to other natural and manmade objects to create stories. Her career is functional, with robust portfolios. Over the years, she had worked with the famous Smithsonian and the British Museums. Her sculptures, for several reasons have found permanent places in Galleries and museums, and collections in several countries all over the world. She been invited by several bodies and countries to shw her works, which include, United state, Austria, Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Cuba, France, Sicily, Japan and South Africa and Europe, and numerous private collections.. Her solo exhibitions are notably spread round the world, some of which are spirit in steel, dwelling on the Arts of the Kalabari Maquerade, specifically staged by the American Museum of Natural History – New York, between 1998 and 1999. However, in no particular order, “Imagined Steel” was staged at the lowry Arts Center”, Manchester and was later featured in the Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Liandudo Brewery Art Center and Derby Museum and 127 www.sunmesjournals.org INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, HUMANITIES AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH, JUNE2020 VOLUME 10 NO 1 ISBN 978-0-213168-1 Art Gallery between 2002 and 2003. For specific projects, she was also incorporated in the creation of African Garden at the UK-Wide Africa 05 Festival, there; she collaborated with the Ground Force, with a formidable synergy that produced remarkable result. Among her many awards, the Ken Saro-Wiwa “Living Memorial” Sculpture and her work No-O-war-No-O-War-R designed for Trafalgar Squares, fourth plinth was shortlisted in 2003 are indeed remarkable. Commentary on Works and Style Nigerian contemporary artists are indeed concerned with identity, not withstanding their place of practice. The ideological and thematic approach to their works, especially of the sculptures, conjecture vivid exposition of their visual cultural background, hence their concern for problem solving,
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