Bolanle Austen Peters, the founder, Terra Kulture Arts and Studios Limited, says that women as nation builders must be carried along in nation building.
She said that since women have the power to create as well destroy, nation builders should not neglect them because they occupied strategic positions.
Austen Peters said, “She can be calm and violent as a storm, she can be a mother, the ultimate protector, compassionate, loving and all enduring, they have to be pampered’’.
She said this in Lagos at the opening of the maiden international exhibition by #sisterArt; tagged: “Strength of a Woman’’, at Terra Kulture, on Victoria Island Lagos on Sunday night
NAN reports that 35 female artists had begun to feature their art works at the exhibitions that would end on June 7.
She said that it was a great venture for women artistes from different countries to have come together to celebrate the strength and the diversity of their various art works in Lagos.
“A woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone and has constantly deal with a lot of issues emotionally, physically and spiritually; yet they handled them with ease.
“She understands that she is a woman and she takes advantage of it to better her family and the society in general. A woman is diplomatic by nature. Her heart is pure.
“She has a sense of purpose, she multi-tasks and she will still be sane enough to handle her responsibility as a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter and a career woman,’’ she said.
She said that women used to have answers to every question, and if she were at cross roads, she would go on her knees and ask God for guidance.
“Her seemly outward calm nature even when she has the world on her head is commendable,’’ she said.
She, however, said that the exhibition was a celebration of feminism and African family leanings as much as it was a peep into the socio-political and cryptic nature of our society.
“It is also a need to protect and celebrate women, promote and nurture understanding, love and respect for a woman.
“I hope that #sisterArt, cultural exhibition will be a movement that will bring to the fore the women in the creative industry.
“Also, I hope it will drive growth and interest in female artists while sending strong message about the challenges affecting women to the society,’’ she said.
The convener and project manager, of #sisterArt, Nkang Ini-Dan, said that the aim of the exhibition was to bring women together, celebrating, promoting and projecting them in the creative industry.
“We want to celebrate them around the world, it is also to create a platform for networking, education and provide opportunities for social, economic and cultural exchanges amongst members.
“It is to give more voice, better representations, local and international exposures and uniting the world using visual arts,’’ he said.
Ini-Dan also said that the event was designed to celebrate women and the girl-child all over the world.
“And to send a very strong message across the world advocating against all forms of violence and abuse against women and the girl-child.
“The theme was selected to highlight the roles women play in family, society and also in nation building and the need to encourage them to do more,’’ he said.
One of the exhibitors and an artist, Stella Ubigho, said that women needed more encouragement in arts practice.
She said that arts needed vigorous orientation for people to understand it because as women artists were coming in “we need to earn a living from it.
“Some years back, you hardly saw women exhibiting or going into arts. But, these days a lot of us are in it.
“We need government’s intervention for funds to help us to kick off and be able to set up some other things that we need to make ends meet,’’ she said.
Another artist and fashion designer, Peace Ebiuwhe, said that arts and fashion if looked into properly by stakeholders, would sell Nigerian culture to the rest of the world.
“We need tourists to come to this country, to see what we have and doing to be able to patronize us,’’ she said.
Ebiuwhe noted that the major challenge had been funding; people would promise to sponsor you but would not respond when the time comes.
“We are eager to do a lot and with funds, we will get there and take the world by storm,’’ she said.
NAN reports that some of the paintings where thread embroidery, textiles, ceramics wares, installations, bead works, fashion and others.
