SURPRISING, BUT TRUE, DANIEL UMOLU, ELECTRICAL ENGINEER IS A PAINT ARTIST, HIS PRE-EVENT ART EXHIBITION HELD IN JOS CITY RECENTLY PROVES HE IS

Daniel Umolu, the Electrical Engineer turned art/craft Artist

When yet another pre-event art and craft exhibition held in the City of Jos, the Plateau state capital, Nigeria, the art enthusiasts that gathered to grace the event, especially, the Non-Nigerians, literally wondered if there ever will be a limit to the natural and human endowments of Nigeria. The country is so wonderfully blessed most of them must have said.

The art enthusiasts that gathered at the event venue in the scenic and captivating City of Jos, were awe stricken when the event host in his opening speech announced that the Artist, whose invitation they gathered to honour is an Electrical Engineer.

According to some of the event attendees that Scoreline spoke to “immediately the announcement was made we thought it was one of those stunts associated with the numerous rib cracking jokes that the event MC’s are reputed for”. The reactions expressed by most of them were glaring indications of how they truly felt.

The reactions include “Electrical Engineer”? “I can’t believe this”; “This is so real to be true”; “Why would an Electrical engineer become an artist? How can an electrical engineer paint? “My surprise is that he has painted to the level of organising a painting exhibition of his works”; “My thinking initially is he has made money and decided to invest it into organizing art exhibition to showcase the works of other artist”; “May be he is the co-MC, and he is joking”.

These expressions, others that were expressed but not captured and whatever it was that others felt but never had the courage to express, notwithstanding, the simple but very glaring is the fact that Daniel Umolu from Anambra state, South East Nigeria, an Electrical Engineering graduate of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, an embodiment of courage, creativity and passion has taken to arts and craft: painting, as his area of calling.

If you think Daniel Umolu is daring you are not far from the truth. If you consider his decision to via into arts and craft and break into painting as a heroic and very brave move, nobody will accuse you of an attempt to distort or exaggerate facts, or blame you for poor judgement, for indeed you have merely stated the obvious. Scoreline notes that Umolu’s venturing into arts and craft is tantamount to defying the conventional and his debut art exhibition, a huge demonstration of the extent the committed and determined can go in identifying, embracing and following their dreams, pursuing them and realizing their calling.

With a strong engineering background, Umolu could have easily continued on a familiar trajectory, what some people may dub “a conversant terrain or at home with” situation; and others commonly may describe as the path of stability, predictability and comfort, but he did nothing of such, instead he soldered on the path of bravery. Listening closely to the inner yearnings of his heart, acting boldly and unwaveringly, Daniel Umolu rose up to stand by his dream and without looking back decided to face headlong the challenges that diverting and breaking into arts and craft has and will surely pose to him.

Scoreline reveals that while the people, ranging from renowned and emerging artists to ordinary art enthusiasts gathered at the venue of the event in the city of Jos, the Plateau state capital to witness the pre-exhibition activities signalling the scheduled hosting of Daniel Umolu’s debut in his painting exhibition, little did it occur to them that they gathered also to honour and endorse bravery. Little did they know that they trooped out to stand solidly by a testament of courage enveloped and released to the World as Daniel Umolu, who openly demonstrated the will to stand up and make an audacious statement that the young Nigerians and indeed all Nigerians are not push overs, and more importantly a testament that nothing is good enough to stop anybody from going for his/her dream in life, however, it also indicated clearly that a dream is beyond a hobby.

By his daring move and courageous decision to venture into arts and craft after completing his study and graduating as an electrical engineer, Daniel Umolu reminded anybody that cares to listen that art is a powerful tool for self-expression, peoples emancipation and public engagement, a tool for storytelling, a narrative instrument for analysis, evaluation and correction of ills in the environment, and as a matter of fact a dependable instrument for both personal and national growth, development and sustainability. These are some of the things few painting works he exhibited at the pre-exhibition event cause the people to reflect on as they wandered through his painting works one after the other.

Easily noticed also in the works of Umolu are the vibrancy of his colours and their combinations, the boldness with which the beautiful strokes that connect his ideas go to reveal his psychological and emotional dispositions, hope and expectations for the transformation of self, country and the Globe. Looking at the depth of his works conveys the message of a young, hardworking and committed art practitioner, desirous of creating and living a footprint, a legacy of sort in his chosen field. He is enthusiastic and open minded, keen and desirous of pulling fellow Nigerian youths and others round the Globe from destructive tendencies and debilitating behaviours. Through his Can-Do Spirit and the resilient attitude of the average Nigerian, he has reasonably reflected some of the issues in his paintings and by so doing showcased and equally demonstrated clearly the direction of his thoughts.

Speak of a change maker on a mission and Umolu readily comes to the mind. His admirers, art and craft enthusiasts and those willing to contribute towards impacting the society positively surely have a reliably self-inspired, passionate and performance driven art and craft artist in Daniel Umolu.

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By Nnabugwu Chizoba