DATE: May 12, 2008
VENUE: Conference Hall, SOFITEL Teranga

10 Rue Colbert B. P. 3380, Dakar

Time: 11:00 am

E x h i b i t i o n  O p e n  t i l l  M a y 18, 2008

The NAIJA Exhibition.

The NAIJA Exhibition comprises 42 works of Art by sixteen contemporary artists, displayed at the conference hall of the Sofitel Terangar in Dakar, Senegal as an off in the DAR’KAT Biennale 2008, otherwise known as the 8th Biennale of Contemporary African Art. It is exposed to the international community, the Nigerian community in Senegal as well as the general public. On display are 31 paintings, 7 sculptures, 3 decorative textiles and one print (Plastograph). The objective of this whole package is to showcase contemporary Nigerian Art on the Nigeria Day in DAK’ART 2008. The National Gallery of Art, Nigeria, organiser of this exhibition, had in the recent past keyed into international expositions, displaying rich contemporary Nigerian Visual Art, at such times as the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Nigeria in November 2003, CHOGM 2007 in Uganda and the World Tourism Market 2006 in Berlin, Germany. At all these exhibitions were displayed paintings, sculptures and photographs amongst other forms of art, from various artists spread across Nigeria.

This exhibition aptly titled NAIJA (a popular euphemism for Nigeria amongst Nigerians just as the New Yorkers would call their State the Big Apple), is the initiative of the Director-General of the National Gallery of Art, Chief Joe Musa, who is a practicing artist. It is an attempt to showcase the products of the various art schools that have emerged over the decades on the Nigerian Art scene with the aim of projecting the artists, especially the young and emerging ones to the forefront and exposing them to a wider audience beginning from the West African Sub-Region.

The DAK’ART experience is one that will open a new vista for Nigerian Contemporary Art, and bring into sharp focus the new ideas and concepts that will highlight the diversity of styles and trends therein. Furthermore, it will create opportunities for participating artists to interact with other African artists and bring to the international arena a taste of the truly Nigerian creative spirit, culture and tourism potentials in line with our “Heart of Africa” project. Do dialogue with the works on display and demand for your choice as you depart.