ON Sunday, 15th July, I stepped out to visit the iconic Nike Arts Gallery at Lugbe, Abuja. My desire was to participate in their weekend Art workshop programme, which typically holds on Saturdays and Sundays and consists of a painting, tie & dye, and batik workshop. I was unable to be accommodated in the workshop, so I took the time to walk around and see the gallery for myself.
The gallery is located in a large compound with several buildings housing artworks from various artists around Africa and beyond. On stepping into the main gallery, I was impressed with the sheer number of beautiful paintings and artworks expertly arranged and placed around the space. Aside from the paintings, there were beautiful wood carvings of tables, chairs and other sculptures. There were also traditional African clothing and materials as well as beads and other fantastic craft items.
I met with the curator, Kcee, who gave me a rundown of the gallery rules and other information on the various workshops and programs I could participate in.
A tango with spicy suya…
After spending a bit of time going around the gallery and admiring the artworks, I was famished and tired and decided to rest a bit; so I visited the Suya stand opposite the gallery and was treated to the best suya I’ve had in Abuja. It would be impossible to recall my visit to Nike Gallery and leave out my delight and enjoyment of such a delectable meal. The suya was spicy but in a delicious way. The spice brought out the flavour of the meat, and when eaten together, that is- taking a piece of massa dipping it in the suya pepper and sandwiching it with the meat. The flavour exploded in my mouth the second I took a bite and the various textures of each food blended together, with the suya pepper seeping in. The juiciness and flavour were out of this world. I took care to enjoy the sauce and mixed it all together before chewing and swallowing. Tasted fantastic. I have also attached a photo of the wonderful meal.
Back to the Gallery…
After enjoying and finishing my lunch, I proceeded to the next building in the vast compound, which was somewhat the same as the main gallery, with the same rules but housing different artworks. I walked around taking it all in. There was a part of the gallery that stood out to me, an entire section dedicated to great and outstanding women in Nigerian and Russian history. Women who surpassed expectations, shattering the gender ceiling and rising to prominence on their own merits. I was amazed going through the various artworks which were divided into sections. The first was the standalone portraits of these amazing women and the second a portrait with a short description of their lives and achievements. I was instructed not to take photos of the artworks as stated by the rules to prevent against counterfeiting but this section was just too amazing and I just had to defy the rules! I took photos – the rebel in me!!!
I also toured the environment, spotting wonderful sculptures and statues in an organised layout around the premises as well as the workshop buildings. Even on a Sunday, there were quite a few people around and a lot of couples bonding and enjoying the facility. More people kept arriving and by the time I left, there were way more people than I saw when I arrived. The atmosphere was light throughout and the whole gallery had an air of peace and serenity.
The Nike Arts gallery is a beautiful place to visit, not just for art lovers but also for people seeking a serene and peaceful escape from the city’s usual chaos. It is a great place for anyone who loves art and connecting with other art lovers and wonderful people. I have attached a pamphlet detailing their programs and venues for those who might be interested in visiting the gallery and I can assure you of a great time and an interesting day if you do decide to visit. Cheers, beautiful people, remember to stay hydrated and optimistic always. See you in the next one.
