Through his art exhibitions, Onoja Jacob is promoting peace among communities in Jos, North-Central Nigeria.
by Dorcas Bello, Bird Story Agency
When Jacob Onoja opens the door to welcome guests into his house in Jos, Plateau State, the first thing that catches one’s eyes are the exquisite paintings on the walls. This is an artist who lives and breathes art.
“As far back as I can remember, I have always loved scribbling, drawing, painting and visualising imaginary things in the sky. I did it in my teenage years, and I still do in my adult life,” he said.
Onoja started to paint professionally in 1987 when he opened a studio, the Diadem Art Gallery. To refine his talent, he enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University, where he earned his first degree in fine and applied art. After his mandatory NYSC year, Onoja displayed some of his paintings at the NICON Hotel in Abuja, and after attaining a master’s degree at Ahmadu Bello University, enrolled for a doctorate in art history. Earning his doctorate in 2014, he then joined the University of Jos as a lecturer. But he never let go of his private studio engagement.
“It hasn’t been an easy ride juggling academics and private studio practice, but what keeps me moving is the long-term impact of my work. I have already started seeing the fruit of my labour as some of my students are now professional artists,” he said.
While Onoja uses his brush to depict a wide range of subjects on his canvases, the theme of peace is close to his heart.
“I was born and still live here in Plateau State, a place that has suffered insecurity, both cross-border and inter-communal,” he said.
Through his art, Onoja projects peace as a value presented not only as a right but something every individual needs to consciously strive for. This he describes as a form of community therapy.
“I try to tell stories of peace to entrap people into my space of therapy,” he explained.
In 2014, Onoja launched an annual exhibition called “Landscapes and More” that brings people from within and outside of Plateau State together to discuss peace as they experience the stories behind his paintings. Since then, it has been held every December as an artistic event to “wrap up the year”.
“It is a time of the year I look forward to, and many attendees have made it their annual routine,” he said.
One of those who’ve been attending the exhibition is Nenkinan Deshi.
“Onoja’s consistency in bringing peace messages is so healing… the scars of the instability in our state that I had nursed for years have been healed by the exhibitions. I appreciate his work and determination to preach peace through his art,” Deshi said.
Onoja says he draws inspiration for his work from nature: flowers, buzzing bees, the skyline, waterfalls, everything nature offers. But above all, he is inspired by the divine.
Onoja’s work enabled him to lead the Zaman Tare project, a peace partnership between CANFOD, an NGO based in Abuja, and the European Union, from January 2018 until January 2020. Zaman Tare means
“peaceful co-existence” in Hausa.
Its impact was summed up by Anas Ibrahim Suleiman, a community youth leader in Nasarawa Filin Ball, one of the “hot zones”:
“I have never experienced something so great and more than ever before, I have seen the need for us to work for peace together as a community,” said Suleiman.
Onoja has been engaged in other group and solo exhibitions, with some of his paintings appearing in foreign publications and receiving great patronage. He also says art pays most of his bills besides being a fulfilling career. His paintings sell between ₦7k ($15) for the smallest size, to ₦350k ($780) for the big pieces. However, the prices can also be higher depending on the place and organisers of the exhibition.
To speak to a broader audience, Onoja has gone digital and is also using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to sell his work.
“Digitalisation, especially the NFTs, is revolutionising African art. More creatives should leverage the technology to advertise and sell their artworks,” he said. On future plans:
“I want to grow and nurture this ‘baby’, the Diadem Art Gallery, into a huge enterprise specialising in collecting paintings and exhibitions on (the) theme of peace and co-existence,” he said. “I will continue to devote all my energy to art, my career as a lecturer and peace crusader”.
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