The art collection ‘106 Expressions’ co-curated by Yellow Dot’s CEO, Olubukola Bolarinde, made a splash over the weekend with over 100 art pieces displayed to dozens of art enthusiasts and collectors who convened at the A&A Towers, Eko Atlantic City, Lagos.
An unusual site for exhibition, the A&A Tower which is still under construction, was the finishing stroke to Bolarinde’s vision of fusing two of her passions – Art and Architecture.
According to her, she wanted people to appreciate both in their truest form. “I wanted to do something that nobody has ever done before,” Bolarinde revealed. “There has never been an art exhibition staged on a construction site nestled in a safe, clean environment with a rustic feel to it.
I wanted to bring those two worlds together that represent who I am.” A trained architect from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), she commenced her earliest painting in 2020, amassing a total of 85 pieces that project the Nigerian people, cultures, values, prominent landmarks and figures including a portrait of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
Bolarinde added: “I have a real passion for what I do, it consumes me, it eats me up. Inspiration comes from everything that I see; it comes from culture, it comes from our people. You’ve seen the Ife culture — Yoruba culture — beautifully celebrated tonight. The Ooni of Ife is somebody who throws his weight behind everything that I do because he knows that I stand for the culture that is Nigeria.” The evening, graced by well-heeled guests including the artist’s parents, elder statesman and foremost industrialist, Chief Samuel Olaniyi Bolarinde and his wife, Olufunke; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; Oba Saheed Elegushi; Alan Davies of James Cubitt Architects; founder of Elizade Group of Companies, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo; Managing Director of VFD Group, Nonso Okpala; General Manager Corporate Affairs, MTN Nigeria, Omasan Ogisi; Managing Director Arkland Group, Jide Olumodimu, former Minister of Health, Dr. Abimbola Ogunkelu, Nollywood actors Judith Audu and Omowunmi Dada, among others, was one of many eccentric occurrences.
