There is no doubt that Bob Nosa Uwagboe is a protest artist. He has come to use his sort of art pieces to explore and expose man’s inhumanity to man. The post Uwagboe conquers with protest art appeared first on The Nation Newspaper.
There is no doubt that Bob Nosa Uwagboe is a protest artist. He has come to use his sort of art pieces to explore and expose man’s inhumanity to man. His arts are unique in many ways and also meant to achieve activism. For three months from June to August, he was away in Poland and Germany on artist residency programme meant to engage arts that champion the liberation of man from all manner of injustices. He tells Edozie Udeze more in this encounter.
Bob Nosa Uwagboe, this peculiar protest visual artist, has gradually built himself into the hearts of people. His style of protest art was initially seen by some as an aberration. But Uwagboe kept on with the tempo, producing series of awesome pieces of artworks that surprised art lovers, stakeholders and fellow professionals. Today his name rings a bell in far and near places. His works have peculiar signature to them, a trend he has come to use to impact beyond his immediate confines.
Between the months of June and August this year, he was away in Poland and Germany where he was involved in artist residency programme. The residency included artists from other climes. However, as usual, the familiar but peculiar elements that often dominate his art pieces came fully to the fore. As an artist, he was at his best. In fact, his works outshone others.
In Polish language, protest art is called sztuka. The international exhibition which involved the entire artists in the programme concentrated on activist art. The works presented the artistic stance on creation, so said Uwagboe. Therefore, the essence of the Polish experience was to do art that hammered on human rights, environmental concerns, gender equality, social justice and such other related ills of the society. It also involves the dignity of the human person because the world recognizes protest art as a form of social activism.
In an interview, Uwagboe explained that “Protest art can have an important relationship with human rights and environmental concerns. Protest art is a form of art that is often used to reawaken the consciousness of the oppressed, raising awareness, sparkling dialogue, and advocating for social and political change on issues like human rights violations and environmental degradation in our society”.
He continues, “It helps in critiquing and challenging the status quo on human rights and environmental issues through creative expression. Protest art can give voice to marginalized perspectives. It also helps in preserving historical narratives and experiences related to human rights struggles and environmental movements through artistic documentation. Protest art has demonstrated an ability to amplify and strengthen movements advocating for human rights and environmental protection. The creative and expressive nature of protest art can be a valuable tool for social and political change”.
For him as an artist, he said “No, I don’t do or take part in performance art, but I appreciate every form of art that is used to demand for good governance. I was on 3 months (June -August) of art residency with “WL4 Mleczny Piotr” among other international artists who use art as a tool for social commentary in their respective societies. This project was curated by Maria Dembek. So in between my stay in Poland, I traveled to Berlin with my manager Malgorzata Paszylka Glaza to take part in an Kunst festival with 20 0f my works on display for a solo exhibition in a government gallery. Exhibition titled. “Voicelessness”. The title of the installation and the works on display in Poland is human remains.
In this installation, I made use of 100 used t-shirts and the medium was the screen printing method. Speaking further, he reveals that “This artistically distorted and fragmented composition is made of used t-shirts, covered with prints from stencils depicting human silhouettes and iconic figures associated with the resistance movement. The artist’s intention was to reflect the gradual erosion of the memory of the heritage of those who sacrificed themselves for our existence in the struggles against oppressive systems to preserve civil rights and freedoms.
“Human remains” serves as visual representation of our mortality, reminding us of the impermanence of life and interconnectedness of past, present and future. The project asks for contemplation on our human condition and on how we should use our position to question, protest and make demands peacefully and constructively.” As an artist, Bob Nosa Uwagboe expresses the belief that his artistic stance can inspire others towards empathy, understanding, and action, thereby changing their surrounding reality and the face of the contemporary world,” that was how Maria Dembek described Bob Nosa’s works.
“The art residency was a huge opportunity for me to maximise my potential and expose my practice more to the global community, to also learn from other creative minds from other parts of the globe with like minds. Meeting with other artists was a big experience for him. “Meeting artists from other climes is such a moment I am always looking forward to because it served as a cross-cultural exchange programme that helps to open up one’s mind and also helps to appreciate where one is coming from. It helps to understand that life is almost the same everywhere because human challenges and desires are the same.
In a distorted society like Nigeria, where social, economic, and political challenges are prevalent, my art practice plays several crucial roles in fulfilling social responsibility. It raises my art awareness. Art can spotlight critical issues such as corruption, human rights abuses, and economic disparities. By highlighting these issues, my art educates the public and creates dialogue around solutions. “Art can also provoke thought and encourage individuals to reflect on their own roles within society. This reflection can lead to increased civic engagement and a greater drive for social change.
It preserves my art as culture. In terms of social distortion, art can serve as a means to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage, providing a sense of identity and continuity for future generations. My art serves as a vehicle for comfort and escape from the harsh realities of life and offers comfort to those struggling. It can be a source of solace and hope in difficult times. My art has the potential to ignite the minds of the people and inspire activism and social movements aimed at addressing societal issues and driving progress.”
As a way of replicating what he has learnt abroad concerning art residencies, Uwagboe has also established an artist residency in his studio here in Lagos. The residency has indeed produced one or two artists. The most interesting thing however is that the protest art studio is filled with all types of art pieces that dwell on human experiences across age, time and race.
With his zealous devotion to using art to preserve the ecosystem, the environment generally, Uwagboe has demonstrated that people can change the fortunes of the earth through many ways. With what he has been able to do with his art, it is obvious that he has more to offer the world. Now he has finally placed protest within the context of art, using visuals to open people’s eyes to the distortions in human relations, in disjointed nature of leadership across climes and more.
Edozie Udeze,The Nation