Obi of Onitsha Leads Columbia Business School Alumni to Nollywood Exhibition

Obi of Onitsha Leads Columbia Business School Alumni to Nollywood Exhibition
  • Commends Iké Udé

Mary Nnah

The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, CFR, and members of Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club have commended New York based, Nigerian born fine art photographer, Iké Udé for bringing his internationally acclaimed photography exhibition titled ‘Nollywood Portraits: A Radical Beauty’ to Nigeria.

The monarch said this when he led members of his alma mater, Columbia Business School’s Alumni Club of Nigeria to visit the exhibition which opened to the public recently at Alliance Française de Lagos / Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The visit of the monarch and other corporate titans was on the heels of an ‘Evening of Art and Conversation’ organised by his alma mater in association with Columbia University’s Alumni Club.

In attendance were the institution’s alumni in various fields who all enjoyed private conversations with the artist while appreciating the body of work that graced the walls of Alliance Française de Lagos.

“It is a double pleasure for me today bonding with fellow alumni of Columbia University and seeing the exhibition by Iké Udé. I am thrilled to see Iké’s exhibition of the Nollywood Portraits.

“The works are absolutely fabulous. Iké is internationally acclaimed as a photography artist and I am very pleased that Nigerian art lovers have this opportunity to appreciate his unique artistic creativity. I trust that he will hold more exhibitions in Nigeria in the times ahead”, said the Obi of Onitsha.

Also speaking during the visit, the President of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of Nigeria, Osahon Akpata, while expressing his appreciation to Iké Udé for his spectacular works of art, he commended him for choosing to be a positive voice for Africa in the world arena.

“By creating this museum-quality body of work, he is taking beautiful images of Africans to the highest art and cultural institutions, where they may be referred to for centuries on end”, he noted.

Expressing his appreciation for the visit of the Obi to the exhibition, the artist said, “I admire his commitment to the development of the arts in Nigeria and would like to encourage others in leadership of government and private sectors to do the same.”

Preceding the Ivy League school’s alumni event was an informative and spirited panel discussion hosted by the curators of the exhibition, African Artists’ Foundation and moderated by actor and media personality, Ozzy Agu and titled, “Countenance and Visage: The Power of Nollywood, Representation and Misrepresentation”.

Born in Nigeria in 1960s, the artist has lived in New York City for over three decades. He is best known for his conceptual photographic portraits and self-portraiture. Conversant with the world of fashion and celebrity, Udé gives conceptual aspects of performance and representation a new vitality, fusing his theatrical selves and multiple personae with his creative practice.

Related Articles