BREAKING NEWS:
ORESEGUN Olumide, Lord of OIL on Canvass Painting Wins Nigeria’s Most Trending Artist of the Year 2016 Award…How His WORK Caused Sensation on Social Media Networks
*Yusuf Suleiman Emerges Business Person of the Year
BY NOEL ROTIMI/REPORTER, ABUJA
WITHOUT DOUBT, looking closely at the works of a top number of Nigerian artists the Editorial Board Directors of NAIJA STANDARD Newspaper analyzed, one particular Nigerian stood out as prestigious Nigeria’s Most Trending Artist of the Year Award winner. His name is Oresegun Olumide whose artworks art works are speechless, Breath-taking, Awesome, Alluring, highly attractive; real and evoke the truism in the philosophy of W.F. Kinsella that “Success is getting what you want, happiness is wanting what you get.” Our Editorial Board accord him the sobriquet: ‘Lord of OIL on Canvass Expert.’
Oresegun Olumide, a Nigerian Artist, born in Lagos has by dint of hardwork, determination, vision, constant self-practicing, appraisal and belief proven that dreams do comes through if you never give up your aspiration, no matter how long it is delayed. Don’t think the artworks are pictures, but far more captivating than pictures taken on digital camera. It’s incredibly oil on canvass painting-out of the ordinary you will agree.
His artworks are living, irresistible, powerful and for the first time trending all over social media: attracted 18.7k fans on Instagram, 25k shares on Facebook, 12.6k on Twitter, 10.5k on Snapchat, 9.4k on Tumblr, 12.6k on Google Plus, still trending, which is why it takes the ingenuity of a genius to have attained this global internet attention on blogosphere within a short space of few days. In brevity, Oresegun is an embodiment of raw talent, yet very humble, refused to be distracted, rare virtues only displayed by ‘Eagle, the king of bird.’ Today, Oresegun is living his dream.
In an exclusive interview NAIJA STANDARD last year, he said: “Oil canvass is my life. I put all my efforts and passion into my art paintings, which is my first love. I have always known that when I put all my passion and efforts into what I enjoy doing, such talent would take me to places I have never ever dreamt of. I have always dreamt of going Overseas to showcase my talent. I am planning of having my 3rd Art Exhibition in United States of America (USA) or United Kingdom (UK) by November 12, 2016. Oil on canvass painting is my first love. I can make use of charcoal, poster colour and rest on oil on canvass as I know the painting stays longer to dry.”
On how he gets inspiration to have developed this most sought after oil on canvass painting, Oresegun in a telephone interview explained: “Actually, after I finished Secondary school in 1999, I studied Fine Arts at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where I specialized in painting. By then I started painting normal photowork using oil on canvass perfected in media. That was why my first painting done on oil on canvass was titled ‘ILAJE’. I felt great by the huge response I received from the turn out of the crowd that saw my artistic work. I approached that painting with brush stroke on oil colours even at my National Diploma (ND 2). During my ND2 days, we were not taught how to use oil colour, but by self discovery I explored the idea all alone. I knew if I could be successful in using oil colour, I could use oil media perfectly.
“Since I don’t mingle around, instead of me participating in playing with my friends, I help my nieighbours do some house chores by way of household assistance. By then, we lived in Shomolu, Lagos. That is why it becomes so easy for me to flashback to my childhood, look closely at my immediate environment and society to design ,y oil on canvass painting. I get my inspiration from there.
“Most times I have the idea on my head of what I want. Thereafter, I would ask the children to pose for those concepts I had on my mind and in my head, the results are the astonishing oil on canvass paintings you see that people get confused it with real pictures taken on digital camera.”
This slow-speaking and intelligent artist narrated to this reporter how he was arrested twice: first by the police and the second time by Hausa Mallams just because of his love for arts. His words: “Most times as a young man, I always followed my Mother to Mile 12 to see the crowd of people, traders and buyers alike. This is the reason all my art works in Higher National Diploma 2 (HND 2) in same Yaba College of Technology were tailored to the market. Sorry for the little digression. I was arrested in 2007 for taken photographs by Mallams and was handed over to their Seriki (Hausa market leader). My camera was collected from me.
“Also, during my National Youth Service Corps a year after (2008), in Zamfara State, I was arrested by the Nigerian Police for taking photographs of an Hausa man. You know when you take camera to an Hausa man without any press badge showing you to be a journalist and without you able to communicate fluently in Hausa language that could pose a serious problem. My camera was collected. I was taken to the police station. Their Divisional Police Officer (DPO) asked me to identify myself: I told him I am a youth corper but forgot my identity card in NYSC quarters. Luckily, I knew the DPO’s daughter-a friend of mine in NYSC camp. That was my saving grace.”
Yusuf Suleiman Emerges Business Person of the Year
YUSUF Suleiman, is a royal descendant and Sultanate of the Sokoto Caliphate, a-two-minister of Nigeria under past administration of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He is the Chairman& CEO, Afro Investors Limited, a vast, highly technical Agricultural establishment that has freely offered jobs to millions of Nigerians.
This Harvard graduate in United States whose good works have impacted on the lives of the masses and majority of the people in the 23 Local Government Areas of Sokoto State is seeing as ‘Hero of the Masses.’ Regarding his further plans for the masses, he told NAIJA STANDARD in our last interview: “I will give priority to agriculture by effectively utilizing the state`s vast land and create new opportunities.” Natives of Sokoto State are seriously looking up to this humble businessman by 2019 in the Gubernatorial Election.
