Art they say is an expression of an impression and one would wonder how a woman an actually express what she feel inside having in mind that women are more of the kitchen that the studio. Here is Chizoba Lilian Pilaku a painter who has succeeded in playing the role or a wife, mother and a woman. Let’s meet Chizoba Lilian Pilaku.
Chizoba Lilian Pilaku born on the 12th day of September, 1977 is a graduate of the Nsukka Art school (University of Nigeria Nsukka) and presently holds a Post graduate diploma in public administration from the university of Abuja. She was Art Teacher (Funtaj International School-Junior & Senior High) Abuja and Studio Artist/Manager Cultural Officer (FCT ABUJA COUNCIL FOR ART AND CULTURE) and presently, She is a painter and a curator with the National Gallery of arts Abuja. More interestingly is that Lilian is married to John Pilaku.
Some people say that artists are born while some believe that they are made. Wondering why lilian took up the art profession? Speaking to SHEWORLD art for Lilian has always been an interest and I would rather say inborn. According to her “As a child I had a flair for art, and participated in my primary school’s open day art exhibition severally”. During this period Lilian had lots of encouragement form her art teachers both at primary and secondary levels, she adds “I was encouraged by my Ghanaian art teacher, Mrs. Anku, also at the secondary school level, my art teacher, Ms. Scholastica Ugwu was also a source of inspiration for her through out the senior secondary school and urged her to study art as a course. However her involvement with Chijioke Onuorah, a lecturer of the Fine Arts Department, at the university of Nigeria and Jane Egboh Nwakoby who was a painting student also at the University of Nigeria was the turning point for her, being a studio model for Jane, and fascinated by Jane’s skills, her interest grew and she resolved to study art in the university.
Lilian works are mostly on canvas she explores mediums like acrylic and oil. She prefers to use “acrylic on canvas” though because its water based, she also engages her energies in experimental works using any medium that interests her at any point, e.g. her newspaper and candle/wax series, Uli designs also feature greatly in her works. The Uli symbols are seen in Lilian’s work which is a symbol of the Nsukka art school.
Lilian is inspired majorly by her environs told SHEWORLD that “my works are usually inspired by things that go on around me, societal issues, marriage/family, women and children. My personal experiences in life also play a major role in my works”. This can bee seen in her works most of which bothers basically on societal issues, women, family, and life experiences. NLECHA is one work that depicts women as beautiful but complex species another is “ARE THESE AFRICAN BEAUTIES?” this work she says addresses the issues of misconceptions of true beauty in the African society, FAMILY POTRAIT tries to express Lilian’s impression of an ideal family while ASILI shows the Uli symbol of gossip-this shows that without an itching ear, there would be no wagging tongues. Uli are symbols used in Ibo land for communication in the olden days gossip if you wish to prefer. Lilian loves the use of earth colours I would rather not say dull colours but it tells a lot of her person. Her colours are a reflection of the person she really is a quite and reserved person if I must say, though occasionally her colours go very brilliant and hot but she would rather stay earthy though.
She has been part of several group exhibitions amongst which are Drawings 1(exhibition of drawings) Ana Gallery at UNN 1996 and 1997, Torture: End Impunity (Exhibition of paintings in commemoration of world’s suffering masses.) Lagos, 1999. Degree Exhibition (Ana Gallery) UNN in 2000, Africa Travel International (Eco-tourism exhibition) Abuja, 2000. Discoveries (An exhibition of serving corps members of the FCT Council for Art and Culture) in 2001, Together we re- build The Nation (exhibition by Nigerian Artists for a Nation A-New) Abuja 2001, Nigerian women in art (exhibition marking Nigeria’s 41st Independence) 2001, Chogm Exhibition Abuja. Abuja 2003, Creative feminism (Female Artists Association of Nigeria Exhibition) in Port-Harcourt 2004, A Glimpse into Nigerian Art (Dak’art off) Dakar biennal, Dakar in 2006, Leon Sullivan Summit Exhibition Abuja 2006, An Exhibition to Commemorate African Regional Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations Abuja 2006, in 2007 she featured in the International Culture and Diversity Exhibition, Kampala, Uganda, and ITB Berlin exhibition, Germany, Echoes of Experience. (Female National Art Exhibition), Lagos. While in April 2008 she has her solo exhibition of paintings titled “AWAKENING” at the Thought Pyramid Center for the Arts, Abuja. Also NAIJA. L’Exposition d’art contemporiane Nigerian, (Hutieme Biennale d’art Contemporain African) Dak’art off, Senegal.
SHEWORLD gathered from Lilian that life is a challenging as a female artist. Here is her assertion “it is quite challenging, one can actually eat their cake and have it but one needs to work extra hard, to balance family life and career so that none suffers at the expense of the others. My husband is so supportive of my career which makes it easier to cope with being an artist and a curator. He is my No. 1 fan”. We may also wonder how Lilian has been able to cope in a profession like art, she adds “Being in a male dominated discipline, put God first, don’t be intimidated, remain focused; do not be distracted by anything or anyone, especially negative criticisms. You can be what you want to be, just believe in God and yourself and your dreams and everything falls into place”. For her being a woman, marriage or family life has not deterred her from practicing art and achieving her goals. She told SHEWORLD that “No one can put you down unless you help them to, above all love yourself and what you do, because you’re simply extraordinary”.
For lilian, the challenges faced lie in the balancing of family life, regular office work, and as a practicing visual artist. It’s not easy but possible; it only requires a lot of hard work and commitment and with God on one’s side, success is sure. Especially in this profession I must add that sometimes people do not want to acknowledge how good you are because of your gender, the men get intimidated when they realise that you are very good and confident. She adds “During undergraduate days when outdoor drawing classes went on, guys hardly came over to the girls to look at their works and when they did, they usually go like “so women too can draw”? Very funny! Things like this still happen even today”.
I must add that it is most expedient to encourage women to stay on practicing their art, due to the challenges they face in their careers which men luckily hardly face. Women must learn to support and encourage one another, learn to love one another and be united in heart and mind. Lilian believes that “There should be an increase in the slots and opportunities for women as regards artists’ residencies (irrespective of their marital status), grants, scholarships, workshops, patronage of their art, financial aid ,exhibitions and generally supporting their endeavours no matter how little they may seem. Consideration should also be given to pregnant or nursing mothers who are still willing to practice art and make a career for themselves, they must not be regarded as liabilities, handicapped or irrelevant/out-of-the-show when it comes to art programmes, residencies, workshops e.t.c”. She believes that it is one’s creativity that matters. Like the French would say, “c’est ne pas facille du toute”, and truly, it’s not easy at all. However, not being easy does not mean impossible.
Chizoba Lilian Pilaku born on the 12th day of September, 1977 is a graduate of the Nsukka Art school (University of Nigeria Nsukka) and presently holds a Post graduate diploma in public administration from the university of Abuja. She was Art Teacher (Funtaj International School-Junior & Senior High) Abuja and Studio Artist/Manager Cultural Officer (FCT ABUJA COUNCIL FOR ART AND CULTURE) and presently, She is a painter and a curator with the National Gallery of arts Abuja. More interestingly is that Lilian is married to John Pilaku.
Some people say that artists are born while some believe that they are made. Wondering why lilian took up the art profession? Speaking to SHEWORLD art for Lilian has always been an interest and I would rather say inborn. According to her “As a child I had a flair for art, and participated in my primary school’s open day art exhibition severally”. During this period Lilian had lots of encouragement form her art teachers both at primary and secondary levels, she adds “I was encouraged by my Ghanaian art teacher, Mrs. Anku, also at the secondary school level, my art teacher, Ms. Scholastica Ugwu was also a source of inspiration for her through out the senior secondary school and urged her to study art as a course. However her involvement with Chijioke Onuorah, a lecturer of the Fine Arts Department, at the university of Nigeria and Jane Egboh Nwakoby who was a painting student also at the University of Nigeria was the turning point for her, being a studio model for Jane, and fascinated by Jane’s skills, her interest grew and she resolved to study art in the university.
Lilian works are mostly on canvas she explores mediums like acrylic and oil. She prefers to use “acrylic on canvas” though because its water based, she also engages her energies in experimental works using any medium that interests her at any point, e.g. her newspaper and candle/wax series, Uli designs also feature greatly in her works. The Uli symbols are seen in Lilian’s work which is a symbol of the Nsukka art school.
Lilian is inspired majorly by her environs told SHEWORLD that “my works are usually inspired by things that go on around me, societal issues, marriage/family, women and children. My personal experiences in life also play a major role in my works”. This can bee seen in her works most of which bothers basically on societal issues, women, family, and life experiences. NLECHA is one work that depicts women as beautiful but complex species another is “ARE THESE AFRICAN BEAUTIES?” this work she says addresses the issues of misconceptions of true beauty in the African society, FAMILY POTRAIT tries to express Lilian’s impression of an ideal family while ASILI shows the Uli symbol of gossip-this shows that without an itching ear, there would be no wagging tongues. Uli are symbols used in Ibo land for communication in the olden days gossip if you wish to prefer. Lilian loves the use of earth colours I would rather not say dull colours but it tells a lot of her person. Her colours are a reflection of the person she really is a quite and reserved person if I must say, though occasionally her colours go very brilliant and hot but she would rather stay earthy though.
She has been part of several group exhibitions amongst which are Drawings 1(exhibition of drawings) Ana Gallery at UNN 1996 and 1997, Torture: End Impunity (Exhibition of paintings in commemoration of world’s suffering masses.) Lagos, 1999. Degree Exhibition (Ana Gallery) UNN in 2000, Africa Travel International (Eco-tourism exhibition) Abuja, 2000. Discoveries (An exhibition of serving corps members of the FCT Council for Art and Culture) in 2001, Together we re- build The Nation (exhibition by Nigerian Artists for a Nation A-New) Abuja 2001, Nigerian women in art (exhibition marking Nigeria’s 41st Independence) 2001, Chogm Exhibition Abuja. Abuja 2003, Creative feminism (Female Artists Association of Nigeria Exhibition) in Port-Harcourt 2004, A Glimpse into Nigerian Art (Dak’art off) Dakar biennal, Dakar in 2006, Leon Sullivan Summit Exhibition Abuja 2006, An Exhibition to Commemorate African Regional Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations Abuja 2006, in 2007 she featured in the International Culture and Diversity Exhibition, Kampala, Uganda, and ITB Berlin exhibition, Germany, Echoes of Experience. (Female National Art Exhibition), Lagos. While in April 2008 she has her solo exhibition of paintings titled “AWAKENING” at the Thought Pyramid Center for the Arts, Abuja. Also NAIJA. L’Exposition d’art contemporiane Nigerian, (Hutieme Biennale d’art Contemporain African) Dak’art off, Senegal.
SHEWORLD gathered from Lilian that life is a challenging as a female artist. Here is her assertion “it is quite challenging, one can actually eat their cake and have it but one needs to work extra hard, to balance family life and career so that none suffers at the expense of the others. My husband is so supportive of my career which makes it easier to cope with being an artist and a curator. He is my No. 1 fan”. We may also wonder how Lilian has been able to cope in a profession like art, she adds “Being in a male dominated discipline, put God first, don’t be intimidated, remain focused; do not be distracted by anything or anyone, especially negative criticisms. You can be what you want to be, just believe in God and yourself and your dreams and everything falls into place”. For her being a woman, marriage or family life has not deterred her from practicing art and achieving her goals. She told SHEWORLD that “No one can put you down unless you help them to, above all love yourself and what you do, because you’re simply extraordinary”.
For lilian, the challenges faced lie in the balancing of family life, regular office work, and as a practicing visual artist. It’s not easy but possible; it only requires a lot of hard work and commitment and with God on one’s side, success is sure. Especially in this profession I must add that sometimes people do not want to acknowledge how good you are because of your gender, the men get intimidated when they realise that you are very good and confident. She adds “During undergraduate days when outdoor drawing classes went on, guys hardly came over to the girls to look at their works and when they did, they usually go like “so women too can draw”? Very funny! Things like this still happen even today”.
I must add that it is most expedient to encourage women to stay on practicing their art, due to the challenges they face in their careers which men luckily hardly face. Women must learn to support and encourage one another, learn to love one another and be united in heart and mind. Lilian believes that “There should be an increase in the slots and opportunities for women as regards artists’ residencies (irrespective of their marital status), grants, scholarships, workshops, patronage of their art, financial aid ,exhibitions and generally supporting their endeavours no matter how little they may seem. Consideration should also be given to pregnant or nursing mothers who are still willing to practice art and make a career for themselves, they must not be regarded as liabilities, handicapped or irrelevant/out-of-the-show when it comes to art programmes, residencies, workshops e.t.c”. She believes that it is one’s creativity that matters. Like the French would say, “c’est ne pas facille du toute”, and truly, it’s not easy at all. However, not being easy does not mean impossible.
