1. The document discusses the Ona artistic movement in Nigeria, which emerged in the late 1950s as artists experimented with motifs and idioms to create art reflecting traditional Yoruba settings. The Ona style facilitated the crystallization of Nigerian visual art. 2. Younger generation Yoruba artists are continuing to revive Yoruba artforms, patterns, and philosophy through experimentation with local materials and modern styles. Through the Ona idiom, Yoruba artists have carved an identity and projected Ona art as a model of artistic expression in Nigeria and worldwide. 3. Keywords discussed are Ona, ornament, pattern, motif, and design.

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Onaism: An Artistic Model of Yoruba Civilization in Niger
This paper focuses on Ona stylistic tendency as an artistic model of Yoruba civilization in
Nigeria. The quest to carve an identity led to series of experiments with diverse motifs and
idioms in order to create art works reflecting our traditional setting. The Ona artistic movement
is one of the many fruits or harvest emanating from the natural synthesis theory of the late
nineteen fifties. It is the intention of the writer to examine its development from the modest
beginning to its robust formalistic model of artistic expression. Through interviews with
exponents and review of a number of literatures, it was found out that the Ona movement has to
a large extent.
facilitated the crystallization of Nigerian visual art. The younger generation of Yoruba artists is
inclined to revive Yoruba artforms, motifs and philosophy through constant experimentation
with local materials, patterns and images
rooted in modern styles. Through the use of this idiom, the Yoruba artists have carved an image
for themselves by projecting Ona art as a formalistic
model of artistic expression in Nigeria and the world at large.
Keywords: Ona, Ornament, Pattern Motif, Design
WHILE ARAISM IS
Nigeria: Araism - Between Modernist And Renaissance Art
Lagos — With a shift in norms and values especially where cultural practices are concerned,
there comes a new stirring of resources towards producing modern techniques to fit new
dispensations. The awakening thus evolves into a modernist movement with a fresh set of

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cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-
scale and far-reaching changes to Western society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
A revolt against the conservative values of realism, modernism is perceived as a rejection of laid
down tradition and its recurring forms. In general, the term modernism encompasses the
activities and output of those who felt the "traditional" forms of art, architecture, literature,
religious faith, social organisation and daily life were becoming outdated in the new economic,
social, and political conditions of an emerging fully industrialised world.
About The Movement
Araism Movement was established and formally launched on Saturday July 22, 2006 with an
exhibition of paintings in Araism by the proponent of the technique, Mufu Onifade and five of
his disciples: Olaniyi Omojuwa, Tope Oguntuase, Dotun Popoola, Abiola Mautin-Akande and
Jonathan Ikpoza. This epoch-making event was held at Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Harmattan
Workshop Gallery , Victoria Island, Lagos , Nigeria . The event was able to re-launch the
phenonmenon of ARA (Aesthetically Rich Art) and ara (wonder) to the sensibilities of artists,
arts writers, gallery owners, the arts community and the general public. In recent times, every
watcher of unfolding events in Nigerian Contemporary cannot overlook or undervalue the
emrgence and prominence of Araism technique – nay the relatively young Movement. Araism is
a creative force of reckoning while the Movement serves as a medium of projection of the
technique.
In 1989, Araism began as a technique developed by Mufu Onifade, but having trained many
students from 1990 to date, each student was able to develop his own style, using the technique

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as a technical base. With the distinguishing element of one style from another, it also became
imperative to create a platform on which these various styles of Araism could be projected; and
this paved the way for the establishment of Araism Movement.
Araism as a technique entails quite a bunch of cumbersome technicalities deserving of intense
experimentation. It was launched in 1998 with a solo exhibition by Mufu Onifade, its proponent
but the Movement was born in 2006 with an official grouping of interested students who are
today known as disciples – all of them sharing a common fraternity with their teacher.
With the emergence of the Movement, we can now reflect on both the technique of, and the
styles in, Araism. This is made possible by an array of styles evolved by the proponent of
Araism, Mufu Onifade and his outstanding disciples.
Araism restates its relevant position on contemporary Nigerian Art with its annual exhibitions
meant to discover and project to the world, new creativity and disciplined disciples.