Faida Samuel
Artists have consistently addressed social, political, and economic issues through diverse forms of artistic expression, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, installation, and mixed-media practices. Art often serves as a platform for dialogue, reflection, and criticism, enabling artists to engage with societal realities and challenge existing conditions. Through their creative works, artists become visual commentators who draw attention to issues that affect individuals and communities. Thus, Lasisi Lamidi is one such artist whose some of his works are socio-political inclined. Through a series of thought-provoking works, he addresses contemporary challenges confronting Nigerian society. One of his notable bodies of work is “The Window Series: Lamentations for a Nation,” conceived around 2020. The series functions as a visual protest against poor governance, social injustice, and the declining living conditions of many Nigerians. Through symbolic forms and unconventional materials, Lamidi critiques leadership failures while advocating for accountability, social responsibility, and improved welfare for citizens.
The series emerged at a period when Nigeria faced numerous socio-economic and political challenges. Rising unemployment, fuel scarcity, inflation, educational decline, insecurity, kidnapping, insurgency, and systemic corruption increasingly affected the quality of life of ordinary citizens. Despite Nigeria’s vast human and natural resources, many citizens continued to experience poverty, hardship, and uncertainty. Lamidi’s artistic response to these conditions is not expressed through public demonstrations or political speeches but through installation that appeals to the conscience of both leaders and citizens. Consequently, the works within The Window Series are executed using mixed media, including iron rods, binding wire, paint, rope, newspapers, metal containers, pieces of canvas, and found objects. The use of discarded and industrial materials reinforces the themes of decay, neglect, resilience, and survival that characterize many of the works. Notable works within the series include Poverty, The Hopeful, Key of Freedom II, Peace Within, Begging Amidst Plenty, Protest I, Suicide of a Nation, Relics of Destruction, Protest II, The Man Died, Vain Glory, and Dry Bones Shall Rise Again. See plate I as example of one of the series, Begging Amidst Plenty
Plate I, begging amidst plenty, Lasisi Lamidi, Installation, Mixed Media, 53x84cm, 2024. Source: Artist Collection.
The installation titled Begging Amidst Plenty is executed using wood, binding wire, and two steel containers of different sizes. The entire structure is patinated in green, while the central opening is painted white. Together, the green and white colours immediately evoke the Nigerian national flag and establish the work’s national context. The composition is organized around a rectangular frame resembling a window, a recurring motif within the series. At the centre of the opening hangs a human figure suspended helplessly in space. The hanging figure becomes the focal point of the composition, drawing the viewer’s attention through its position and symbolic vulnerability. The figure appears trapped between support and collapse, existence and extinction, hope and despair. The dominant green colour symbolizes Nigeria’s agricultural wealth, natural resources, and economic potential. The white section at the centre may be interpreted as a symbol of peace, purity, and national aspiration. However, the helplessly suspended figure disrupts these optimistic associations, introducing a sense of contradiction and unease.
As the title suggests, Begging Amidst Plenty presents a powerful irony. Nigeria is widely recognized as one of Africa’s most resource-rich nations, endowed with vast deposits of crude oil, natural gas, solid minerals, fertile agricultural land, and a large youthful population. Yet a significant proportion of its citizens continue to struggle with poverty, unemployment, insecurity, inadequate healthcare, poor infrastructure, and declining educational standards. Within this context, the hanging figure becomes a metaphor for the ordinary Nigerian citizen. Suspended helplessly within the frame, the figure symbolizes individuals caught in a system that appears unable to provide economic security, social stability, or meaningful opportunities for advancement. The figure’s posture suggests powerlessness and vulnerability, reflecting the frustrations experienced by many citizens who continually seek access to basic necessities despite living in a resource-rich nation. The title further emphasizes the contradiction between national abundance and widespread deprivation. Nigerians are often compelled to “beg” for conditions that should ordinarily be guaranteed by responsible governance, including stable electricity, affordable fuel, quality education, functional healthcare, employment opportunities, and personal security. The work therefore critiques the failure of leadership and institutions to transform national wealth into collective prosperity.
The window itself carries significant symbolic meaning, a window traditionally functions as an opening through which one observes or engages with the outside world. In Lamidi’s work, however, the window becomes a space of confinement rather than liberation. Instead of offering access to hope, it frames the reality of suffering and unfulfilled expectations. Therefore, viewers are invited to look through the window and confront the socio-political realities facing the nation. Additionally, the work challenges viewers to reflect on the contradictions of a nation blessed with abundance yet burdened by hardship, while simultaneously calling for accountability, reform, and collective responsibility.
