My works question women and our self-worth – Blessing Ogbonda

Why did you choose to study art? I chose to study Art because that is where my strongest talent lies. I can’t do without art. It is an inborn talent. What was special about pursuing this career path in IMT and not somewhere else? I chose the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) after going […]

Why did you choose to study art?
I chose to study Art because that is where my strongest talent lies. I can’t do without art. It is an inborn talent.

What was special about pursuing this career path in IMT and not somewhere else?
I chose the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) after going through their records and I saw the kind of students and works which came out of the Institution. They are very good in Art and I dare say it is one of the best Art schools in Nigeria. By the time one goes through training there, you are sure that the best of you will come out. The likes of well celebrated artist Bona Ezeudu are all affiliated to IMT one way or the other.

Could you describe the kind of works that you do?
The kind of work I do is realism and nature painting. I like copying or painting nature because it’s natural. It appeals to me a lot.

What is the relevance of your art to the celebration of the International Women’s Day?
The relevance of my work to International Women’s Day is making every woman in Nigeria to be self-reliant and self-believing of what values they have and to also encourage them to be productive in society through local craft making. There is no woman who cannot produce something but some of them don’t see it and place less value on themselves than they should.

Why do you enjoy treating the topics that you express with your art?
I enjoy treating the topics my art express because in the society today especially Nigerian housewives greatly undermine the talents and gifts we have as women. With my art, I seek to bring about a self realisation to every woman who comes in contact with my work and is in such a category of women. My works question women and our self-worth.

Several issues about women are expressed in various forms every day. What makes yours different and why should anybody pay attention to you?
People should pay attention to mine because I focus more on the power of a woman and what a woman can achieve if given the opportunity. Also, my works show that anything a man can do a woman can do and in many cases even better.

What makes this exhibition special for you?
It is special because it is all about the woman and the position a woman holds in the country or society. It is a nice platform for us women to have some alone time interacting through art as our medium of conversation.

Is it your first?
No, it is not.

Could you tell us about the works you are exhibiting?
The works I am exhibiting express the creative nature of women and how much they can impact on themselves and their environment if they exploit these things which a lot of times are within their reach.

What inspired your choice of these works?
I am one for women empowerment in any form, whether from society, husbands, fathers, or even from women themselves. That’s where my inspiration originates. Through my works, I preach this.

What kind of conversations are you expecting they will provoke?
The kind of conversations that could provoke me and other women to question ourselves and how much we have utilised our potentials or if we are simply content crying about how we are oppressed. Also, I am hoping to raise questions about how inferior women consider themselves to men and why this is so.

Which was the most difficult work to produce for this exhibition and why?
The one I tilted ‘Women empowerment’ because it had to do with figure painting, pictorial composition and also nature. It took a while to put together.

Who/what is your muse when you work?
My muse when I work are the works of the master, Leonardo Da Vinci and Elizabeth Lebron. They give me a lot of zeal and inspiration.

What next from here?
I am looking forward to participating in another exhibition at home and abroad as well as being a great painter who will also serve as muse to someone else.