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Chuks Udo Okonta
Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers Limited has applauded promoters of 2022 ART X Talks and pledged its commitments to promotion of production and collections of art works in Nigeria.
The Managing Director, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Olumide Oyetan, in his opening remarks at the event yesterday in Lagos, with the theme: ART X Talks: ‘Curiosity, Passion, and a dash of foresight: On Building an art collection in Africa’ said the company is excited to note that Africa’s arts are collected across the world.
He noted that he is proud of the strides being made within the art sector, adding the Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers would continue to support the growth of the art sector.
The event was moderated by the Communications Manager, ART X Lagos, Tobi Onabolu and Olufemi Akinsanya, a Nigerian art patron whose interests extend far beyond visual art and a collection spanning multiple centuries, was the panelist.
Akinsanya at the event, narrated how his grandmother helped nurtured his interest on literature; music and collection of arts.
He noted that reading books also inspired him in the collections of arts.
He said the reason he focused on Nigeria’s art was because of the diversity of the country, stressing that every part of the country has unique arts.
He said working with small group of art dealers helped him in collecting arts of high quality.
Akinsanya debunked the belief that arts are fetish, stating that while people adopted new religion, they should also be proud of their culture.
“If we didn’t gravitate towards our culture, we may be losing our essence,” he submitted.
He noted that he has lived with the art works and that non of them has ever said anything to him.
He maintained that collection of art is not a 100-metre race, but a marathon and that people should collect arts with true quality, which according to him, have potential to survive a long period of time.
He called for proper training in collections of art and implored collectors to stay within their budget.
He also enjoined collectors to develop their inner eyes, think beyond immediate benefits and be wary of fake arts amongst classical works.
The renowned art collector also charged young artists to strive to master their craft, stressing that only quality works would distinguished them.
The promoters of ART X Lagos, said in many African belief systems, culture is thought of as something that people belong to rather than own, stating that however, the global art market’s recent interest in the continent has heralded a dramatic increase in demand for works by African artists. “And amid the frenzy has emerged a collecting trend among buyers near and far, whether buying as a hobby, investment piece or social asset.
“Yet this surge in interest would not be the first time the global art market has swayed trends, with the Chinese art market’s boom of the 90s, and bust in the 00s, as perhaps the most recent case study,” the said.
