Artist In Residence
Osaru Obaseki
Andrew O. Edjobeguo
Tony Efeakpokrire
Osaru Obaseki
Osaru Obaseki is a visual artist from Edo state, Nigeria. A graduate of the University of Port Harcourt with a B.Sc. in Business Management. She started off her artistic practice as a self-taught artist exploring the flow of acrylic on canvas. She is drawn to the co-existence of iconographies and motifs, (which gives a sense of ancient communication and the inception of languages).
In September 2017, Osaru joined the Nosona studios under the Edo Global Art Centre platform where she was privileged to be under the tutelage of Mr. Enotie Ogbebor a renowned contemporary Nigerian artist and the creative director of Nosona studios located in the heart of Benin City, Nigeria. There she gained new experiences as an artist and experimented with various mediums especially sand which is influenced by the rich cultural heritage of Benin Kingdom. She explored and experimented more with sand and acrylic which gave birth to a lot of new ideas, creativity and techniques.
Selected Works
In October 2018, Osaru was selected to be part of the 2019 RELE Art Foundation Young Contemporaries Exhibition under the Rele Art Foundation in Lagos, where she did a 4months course with the Foundation after which she exhibited as a Young contemporary in January 2019 at Rele gallery.
In July 2019, Osaru was selected as one of the Edo based artists for the Re Entanglement exhibition, a collaboration between the Cambridge University, London and Nosona studios –an avenue to engage and interrogate the archives of Northcote W. Thomas, a British anthropologist who documented the Edo speaking people between 1909-1910.
Osaru was part of the BACK TO BASE workshop which was a collaborative effort between the Goethe Institute and RELE Art Foundation.
She has been part of several group exhibitions and workshops, some of which are:
Women in Art exhibition a collaborative effort between IDDUK and Gaia Women club in Lagos. IDesign Art, Lagos. NAFEST EDO collaboration with EDO GLOBAL ART CENTRE. ARTLOVE Expo, Lagos. Harmattan workshop with Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation.
Presentation and Representation workshop with ANGELS AND MUSE, Lagos.
Osaru currently creates using a combination of Sand and Acrylic as a way of synergizing two different civilizations – the ancient and the modern.
Andrew O. Edjobeguo
Andrew O. Edjobeguo is a visual artist he works and resides in Benin. He obtained his National Diploma in Art and Industrial Design in Auchi School of Arts and Bachelor of Art in sculpture in the University of Benin, Edo State, respectively. His works are influenced by his environment, thoughts, beauty, struggle, and natural elements are embodiments of his narrative and source of inspiration. He works with diverse metals, acrylic and oil on canvas. He had participated in several group art exhibitions.
His works explores contemporary phases of Nigeria traditional art. As a skilled studio artist, his art practice and technique is birthed in a long ancient kingdom, a cradle of African historical civilization (Benin kingdom). He is a hybrid sculptor who is keen in addressing issues faced in the 21st centuries and connecting past histories with present dispensation. His approach and technique are unique, it is the fusion of metal and resin cast to create art objects. He carefully juxtaposes recycled objects to depict forms alongside other metals and resin which gives sense of cyborg. In other word, this is a connection between Stone Age and technology.
Selected Works
Tony Efeakpokrire
Tony Efeakpokrire was born in Warri, Nigeria. He attended the prestigious colourist’s citadel of Arts Federal polytechnic Auchi, Edo state where he studied General Art and industrial design in 2013 and Painting in 2016 obtaining a National and Higher national diploma respectively.
He was the president National association of Fine and Applied Art student’s Federal polytechnic Auchi chapter and interim president National association of Fine Art students Nigeria. He won several academic awards including future star awards for outstanding academic performance during the return of the master’s conference held in Federal polytechnic Auchi in 2016 and the rector’s award of excellence for best graduating student in painting 2017.
In the course of his artistic journey Tony has been commissioned to produce several murals for public spaces and hubs, experimented on different artistic styles and movements and has participated in several Art competitions, workshops and exhibitions and recently was one among 15 other artist that participated in the [Re]: entanglement Art exhibition which was a collaborative effort between the University of Cambridge and Edo global art centre Benin City.
Selected Works
