Gracious Grace: The artist aiming at exhibiting alongside da Vinci works

She wanted to study architecture. But when she got admission into Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria, she was offered fine art at the Faculty of Environmental Design. She didn’t even draw while she was growing up, but just one year after graduation and still doing her internship, Grace Ighavbota is perfecting her niche in painting. She is already holding an exhibition outside her home country Nigeria. In the last week her works have been on exhibition at the premises of the World Bank, Ghana Office in Accra.

“I am a painting major. I can do interior decoration, paint houses, do mural, work with charcoal and work on canvas,” she said in an interview with ghanabusinessnews.com in Accra.

Currently doing her internship at the Universal Studios of Art in Lagos, Grace has an ambition to showcase her art with and among the best.

“I am aiming at having my work exhibited alongside works by da Vinci,” she said, as her eyes glittered purposefully.

When asked what her source of inspiration is, Grace noted that she is religious. “My inspiration comes from God,” she said.

“I never had formal training in painting. I didn’t even have good grades in painting while in University, but I graduated with first class in Arts,” she said.

Grace paints around two themes. The Pocket Money series and Bread Winner series. The Pocket Money series covers issues about the economy and people who have to work extra hard to make some money to survive. The Bread Winner series looks at particularly children who should be at school, but end up on the streets to sell so they can make some money to support their families.

“These are children who have taken on the roles of providing for their families,” she explained.

Grace believes there is a bright future for arts in Africa, despite the fact that most artists don’t make sufficient money for a living.

“I can see African artists marching European artists side by side,” she said confidently.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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