06 Mar Art we Love number 1. Two women, Two boys and a father

Art we Love number 1.  Two women, Two boys and a father Hourglass Gallery
‘Untitled’, Ben Osawe, Charcoal on (now battered) paper 1965

Ben Osawe created this charcoal drawing in 1965 while still in England. This is one of a fairly large body of model drawings he did at the time.

It’s created in a formal style of figurative portraiture. It’s easy to see his facility with the charcoal medium, his self-assurance and the elegance that would become more apparent in his later bronze sculptures.

Art we Love number 1.  Two women, Two boys and a father Hourglass Gallery
‘Working Dreams’, Sam Ovraiti, Mixed meda on paper, 2010

Sam Ovraiti has always loved the idea of working with models – the sense of urgency, the playful interaction, the possibility of a serendipitous pose or expression that might spark his creative instinct.

And he has always loved water colour – the meandering, delicate magic of the medium.

In this water colour, he combines the water colour painting of the model with calculations, and notations from a self-improvement verse done in pencil.

The notations may have been inspired by his conversations with the model, and his constant belief in the power of self-improvement.

Art we Love number 1.  Two women, Two boys and a father Hourglass Gallery
‘Peter and Sunday’, Abayomi Barber, Charcoal on (now battered) paper, 1957

This sketch created by Barber in 1957 is a story of mutual fascination.

Barber and some artist friends were doing a drawing day-trip of Ibadan -then obviously a much smaller city.

They were fascinated by a group of children they came across and went on to create drawings of these children.

The children were also fascinated by these artists who were intent on drawing them. The end result is a charming, easy ode to childhood and curiosity.

Art we Love number 1.  Two women, Two boys and a father Hourglass Gallery
‘Aladeselu’, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Deep etching on paper, 1977

The artwork, Aladeselu, started life as a portrait. Onobrakpeya’s colleague at St. Gregory’s college wanted a portrait of his father.

His father was a herbalist so Onobrakpeya created a portrait that incorporated, the totems he associated with that profession.

The idea was to create a portrait that represented something beyond mere figurative representation. He wanted to create a portrait that evoked hard work and noble endeavour.

The artwork achieves this. His colleague wasn’t impressed though. It may have been a great portrait of everyman. But it was not his father’s portrait.