Abstract

Most daily experiences are often documented by the visual artist. These may be expressed in the form of material or spoken word. Though it is believed that contemporary sculpture talks about the idea of a certain issue or event, less emphasis is placed on material. This paper merges both the material and materiality of the medium of expression in the twenty first century. Artists are seen to be the hidden voice of the voiceless. The Nigerian society is challenged by the dearth of basic infrastructure and social amenities. When people begin to migrate to Western countries in search of greener pastures, artists embody this exodus in the form of artworks. The Western World is gradually making new findings to better the life of their peoples. Africa, on the other hand, though blessed with rich human and natural resources, remains systemically impoverished by their leaders. This self-inflicted phenomenon drains the mind and consciousness of the individual, driving him or her to desire to escape from the continent. Plato believes that in desiring, we attempt to respond appropriately to the detection of value in the world. However, visual artists deprecate these societal ills, by expressing them in various media, thereby becoming the voice of the masses. It is believed that a photograph speaks a thousand words. This paper seeks to expose the ordeal faced by the Nigerian migrants in the twenty-first century using the sculptural works of three artists.

Keywords

Human experiencesmigrationsartsculptureNigeria

Published in: Nsibidi:AE-FUNAI Journal of Humanities ( Volume: 1 , Issue: 1 , October 2018)

Page(s): 73 - 86

Date of Publication: October 2018

ISSN Information: 1596-5428