ENUGU – FOUNDER of Word for Word Art Movement, Mr Ikenna Nwachukwu has said that art is a veritable tool in the fight against corruption as its appreciation enriches the mind and makes it a less fertile place for the seeds of corruption to grow.
File: The Sculpture titled: ‘Time’ by Otuekong Udoebom (inset).
Mr Nwachukwu who was speaking at the National Gallary of Arts Enugu during an exhibition tagged ‘Cultural Blackout’, which was organized by his movement suggested that government should help promote art among public office holders and public figures.
According to him,” I sincerely believe that art can be used as a tool for national development. There are reseaches showing that art appreciation enriches the mind and makes it a less fertile place for the seeds of corruption to grow. We encourage government to help us promote it especially among public figures.
“Art is life and good art always speaks to one area of reality or the other in a way that educates, inspires and edifies. In Nigeria, people are not so much in to Visual Arts but ilare into music and films.
“We are trying to bring in a whole new idea into organising art exhibition so that it will be possible for for art appreciation to expand beyond those who move around arts and culture such as journalists and writers.
One of the exhibitors at the event, Nnedinnso Ozioko said that art is a means of self expressions and as such can be used to ameliorate societal ills.
“Sincerely, art is a means of self expression. Artists talk about the happenings in the country, revealing the ills of the society. By doing this, there can be changes and corrections to the way things are done. I feel are should be much more encouraged.
“One of my works on exhibition here is titled ‘Beauty in Africa’ and the second one is ‘Poverty’. The two works are connected in the sense that Africa is beautiful but because of mismanagement of resources and corruption, the people are poor and are suffering. This should not be the case,” she said.
Also speaking, another exhibitor, Mr Don Ukez said that his work, Agony of a Nation’ which is in line with the theme of the exhibition talks about the state of the Nigerian nation.
“If you look closely into the work, you will see the pain the people go through, you see the blindfold that the government has placed on them. The people are now required to remove that blindfold in other to see the corruption that is going on around them,” he explained.
