Dike Onwuamaeze
The Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said that Art X has continued to be a platform through which African art has been soaring and achieving global recognition.
Wigwe made this remark during the Art X 4-day event that took place last month in Lagos.
He also pledged that the bank would continue to support the event that empowered African artists.
He said: “For us at Access Bank Group, the idea behind collaborating with the Art X Lagos fair was to ensure that we empower African artists with a platform to showcase their works and change the narrative around Nigeria positively. The Access Bank Art X Prize is our own way of providing funding and mentorship for emerging African artists”, he remarked.”
Wigwe expressed immense satisfaction with the exponential growth of the fair over the years, extending kudos to its Founder, Ms. Tokini Peterside and her team who made the convergence of the art community possible.
He acknowledged that she had performed phenomenally “by creating a strong convening platform in Art X.”
In her remarks, Peterside expressed appreciation to the bank for its good deeds, and for consistently throwing its full weight behind the fair year on year.
She said: “Access Bank’s sponsorship of our fair is a testament to the fact that there is always support from Nigeria and proof of the bank’s belief in our vision.”
“Through the collaboration with Art X, Access Bank has brought to the fore its passion for helping Africans tell the African story through creative and innovative ways, in line with the bank’s philosophy to offer ‘More Than Banking.’”
Access Bank reaffirmed its commitment through its impactful presence at the 2021 edition of the fair, during which the 2019 winner of the Art X Prize Etinosa Yvonne showcased her deeply insightful and thought-provoking project: “It’s all in my head.” The prize was funded by Access Bank,
The immersive multimedia project, curated through research, conversations and photography and layered with text, was embarked upon by the artist in her quest to explore the coping mechanisms of survivors of terrorism, and extreme instances of conflict and cruelty in Nigeria.
The exhibition presented the layered portraits as holograms in a bid to make the survivors ‘physically’ present in the space, employing sound to bring their stories to life.
Beyond providing funding and mentorship for the Art X Prize winner, Access Bank also showcased its creative spirit through the debut of the “ENIYAN” mask installation at the fair in collaboration with fast-rising contemporary artist Yusuf Aina.
