Benin was the second stop on the Mirror the Master children’s art exhibition tour. Benin is a major art hub of Nigeria, arguably the place with the most historic significance. It was here in 1897 that the ill famed punitive expedition took place, a retaliatory expedition by the British military forces that destroyed Benin. In the process, numerous artefacts were looted and ended up in public and private collections around the world. Kambani Arts has been involved in a move towards restitution of artefacts by helping produce a short infomercial – The Crown Affair.
The tour experience in Benin was special. Oba Erediauwa (King of Benin) welcomed school children into his palace for a chat with him and his high priests. There was an interactive workshop at Igun Street, the home of the original bronze sculptors, the place were the looted artefacts from 1897 were made. Then school children took a tour of the National Museum where they were shown original sculptures dating back to before 1897.
Two days of art workshops followed at the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre. The young artists produced some truly excellent work and three winners were chosen following a lavish ceremony of Benin culture of dance, drama and role play. These 3 artists represented Benin in the final exhibition in Lagos.
