Icons II honours erudition and consistency of celebrated masters

Icon II presents a plethora of creative geniuses, unique ideas, outstanding philosophies and idioms – all in a bid to celebrate mastery and mastership in a way different from the ideas of the past…

FOR the first time, an exhibition of diverse artworks by carefully-selected celebrated master artists was held at the Eko Atlantic City, a massive enclave of the super-rich on the former Bar Beach, Victoria Island, Lagos. Titled Icons II, the grand opening ceremony held on Thursday, October 16, 2025, was deliberately lavished with magnificence and pure luxury. The venue was the Phoenix Towers, perhaps the only massive structure at almost 80% completion. However, the groundfloor where the show took place was fully ready. It is a place to exhibit with pride and satisfaction. At least, those were the feelings of most of the exhibiting masters who graced the opening ceremony.

An iconic artist is representative or symbolic of professional integrity. This is determined by many factors: work standard, personal integrity, trust, and character. All of these were displayed by each of the artists, which was the reason for the choice of the word icon as the title of the show.   An iconic artist is judged, first and foremost, by the quality of his/her work and the respect it attracts. In rare cases, the personal character of the artist may be overlooked, but being of good character and maintaining a good interpersonal relationship (humility) can be the icing on the cake for the total representation of the artist. These qualities are inherent in all the iconic artists on this show. It is difficult to adjudicate the works of these artists without recourse to the mastery they have acquired in the course of time and practice.

This show, being the second edition, featured 15 artists. They are all accomplished and iconic artists: Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo, Tayo Quaye, Abiodun Olaku, Bunmi Babatunde, Adewuyi Kenny, Edosa Ogiugo, Duke Asidere, Alex Nwokolo, Mufu Onifade, Fidelis Odogwu, Djakou Nathalie Kassi, Steve Ekpenisi, Collins Akporode, and Joshua Nmesirionye.  Each of them is a master whose mastery rose to maturity through time and consistency of practice. They showed 5 works each, ranging from sculpture to painting and ceramics. Let us have a glance at each of them.

Bruce Onobrakpeya is a legendary Nigerian artist – a UNESCO-declared human living treasure. His presence on the show was both credible and impressive.  Also, Kolade Oshinowo’s prominence as a prolific artist needs no debate. He has tutored and produced many masters in his robust career as a teacher and has dotted the Nigerian art space with works that are awe-inspiring. For these two celebrated artists, their never-say-die spirits have consistently ignited the art space and constantly reminded us of who we truly are as a people.

Tayo Quaye looks like someone who has never had a break from the studio. Like an Ifa priest glued to his divination tray and shells, he sits remotely producing works nonstop. His printmaking is top-notch, and his art is deft with quality. He can be described as CPO (Chief Priest of Printmaking). On the other hand, Kenny Adewuyi is a gentle giant in creativity. Parading the mien of someone unable to hurt a fly, he is a ruthless, creative spirit as exemplified in his unique, stylised figurative works.

Abiodun Olaku and Bunmi Babatunde are like Siamese twins. Apart from being the trustees of the Universal Studios of Art – the biggest art studio in Nigeria – their partnership birthed in the early 80s; they grew together and have maintained the same level of consistency in art practice. Babatunde is a sculptor, while Olaku is a painter. They have jointly produced many artists, some of whom are today masters in their own right. Duke Asidere’s sketchy and patchy ventilation of creative pop is peculiar to him. His creative muses, as replayed on canvas, are like tattered tapestries woven of distinctive threads. You will need to squint your eyes to enjoy his beautiful, colourful strokes.

Talk of an artist with aggressive strokes, talk of Edosa Ogiugo. To him, painting tastes like a rich beverage with plenty of milk and honey, just too sweet. Each work is a piece of candy. His control of strokes is definitive of his inner mind as far as art and creativity are concerned. On the flip side, Alex Nwokolo handles painting like a trained architect, personally arranging blocks to construct structural stories. Whether in naturalism or abstract, Nwokolo is at home with art. His paintings, like his character, are firm, articulate and expressive.

Wherever he goes, Mufu Onifade hangs the banner of Araism (his painting technique) on his neck. Despite having trained many students (he calls them disciples), his works still breathe life and meaning with uniqueness. His exploration into traditional idioms and modern tendencies has continuously defined his philosophy. Fidelis Odogwu is, no doubt, a master metal sculptor. Popularly called the Prince of Metal, he treats metal like a piece of clay, thus making it flexible and amenable to twists and turns. With many themes at his disposal, the metal is his comfort zone. So is Steve Ekpenisi, whose mastery of metal and its many dynamics is simply magical. His use of metal strips to weave veins and tissues to create human anatomy is bliss and class. The third piece of the triplet of metal sculpture is Collins Akporode, who has, over time, readapted metal spoons to speak a new visual language. To him, mastery is just a poignant signature.

Joshua Nmesirionye is in a class of his own. His style has steadily developed from eclecticism to didacticism. Known for his sweet colours and enduring images, he is a storyteller with a language so different and so alluring. The only female artist on this show is Djakou Nathalie Kassi. She is a master ceramist. She has, however, redefined her ceramic pieces by fusing them with sculptural elements. Her strength is a pointer to the reality that what a man can do – as far as art is concerned – a woman can do better.  Djakou is a proud example of feminine creative potency, and her art breaks the barrier of gender.

Icon II presents a plethora of creative geniuses, unique ideas, outstanding philosophies and idioms – all in a bid to celebrate mastery and mastership in a way different from the ideas of the past. As Prof. Ola Oloidi once asserted, “A master is a professional whose art is already liberated from, or no more professionally affected by, certain forms of conventional criticism or whose art can no more be made captive to negative criticism.” This is exactly what these master artists represent.