Duniya Giles Gambo
Artists generally have their individual and sometimes group idiosyncrasies. Such are fueled by a variety of influences, among which are the environment in which they live, the encounters that they have had, and the things they observe generally, among several others. The excitement for this writer, however, is the manner in which they interpret all of the things they absorb and which motivates them to create art. I would like to think that the majority of Jos inhabitants, in Plateau State, worry more about the economic opportunities that have been lost as a result of the main markets’ fire inferno some years back. However, the artist Ephraim Dankyes saw an aesthetic environment that is stocked with numerous possibilities. It is within this context that Dankyes, as this writer likes to call him, explores the frustration that comes with the loss of the market, using it to interrogate the resilience of the Jos people after such a huge loss and suggest the possibility of the market’s rebirth through the visual language of painting.
Often, both the sociological and psychological intellect of the artist come to play when confronted with significant events in the life of a society, either negative or positive. These intellectual attributes complement the artist’s natural character of being the visual historian of his or her time. Thus, Dankyes’ current effort of Delineating the Jos Burnt Main Market painterly further attests to these attributes possessed by the artist. In this exhibition, Dankyes deliberately portrays rather precisely the physical outlook of what used to be, the Jos main market. This was achieved with the rendering of its character, as it existed, but with a deeper connotation of how he perceived it through his titling of the painting. “Puus Jos” (Jos market day). The work’s title encompasses the visual reality of what the market was physically and socio-culturally. Hence, the artist not only documented visually the market as it used to be but also went ahead to provide insights to its socio-cultural and economic status as a “Puus Jos”. Recall that most cultural festivals in the Plateau are Puus this or that. Thus, by documenting it from that perspective, the artist acknowledges the market’s role of being not just a source of socio-economic activity but also a significant source of socio-cultural festival, celebrated daily in the market.
Another painting that speaks to the reality of the burnt market through a psychological approach that might lead to healing for the Jos community is “Wasted Phase”. This painting encapsulates the reality of the market burning, with all the valuables burning along, but manifesting some aesthetic appeal that gives hope. It therefore reminds the people of a phase in their lives that is “burning past,” becoming the wasted phase that it is. Yet, the aesthetics arising from the fire’s compositional colours provide a glimmer of hope for a beginning, depending on how resilient the people are. Then “Sprouting Petals” gives the assurance of a new beginning and inspires the necessary spirit that will lead to the collective effort needed for the market’s rebirth. Indeed, like every ruin, once there is a collective and concerted effort, there is always something new and more beautiful that will sprout from any ruin. Hence, the artist’s allusion to “Sprouting Petals” is indicative of the expected beautiful market that will come after the present ruin.
There are several other works that speak to different issues relating to the Jos burnt main market. However, these three examples have been selected to illustrate the importance of these paintings to the evolutionary history of the Jos community. It is not always that artists are intellectual; perhaps these works exude intellectualism because of the fact that they are products of doctoral research. Thus, it should be noted that sometimes artists’ idiosyncrasies are fuelled by purely subjective aesthetic considerations. Indeed, even among some of these works, I suspect a few purely aesthetic works have been smuggled into this intellectual endeavour. The important thing is that they all constitute this artist’s idiosyncratic posture. Consequently, whatever is your opinion on these exhibits, one thing is clear: the works are masterfully done, with strong sentimental and emotional evocations, as well as being significant to both the contemporary history of Jos and Nigeria’s current reality of “everything burning,” requiring a rebirth. These are subjective conjectures from my mind on the works. Please, you are advised to conjure yours and, for once, enjoy the freedom that God gave us, despite everything that is going on around us. Enjoy the exhibits.
