The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has charged African artists to be agents for the protection of human rights on the continent.
Mrs Adewoa Kufuor, a Senior Human Rights Adviser, OHCHR made the call on Friday in Abuja at an exhibition titled ‘Artvocacy’ forum with the theme ‘Advancing Human Rights through Art.”
The two-day event was organised by Windsor Gallery, an art firm in collaboration with the UN Human Right in collaboration and World Intellectual Property Organisation and Windsor Gallery.
Kufuor said that whether it was in form of paintings or spoken words, artists should project human rights and expose any form of abuse.
“Artists put into painting, things that cannot be said and make commentary on social issues using their fundamental human right to expression.
“After this event, we want artists, as human rights defenders, to see themselves as social commentators, to speak up on human rights issues, to be able to document what is happening in our times and that starts, of course, with young people such as yourselves,” she said.
The UN official said that there could be cases where artists are picked up and intimidated by powerful persons in society for speaking up.
She said that many instruments and mechanisms were available globally and recognised in most countries to seek redress.
Kufuor, however, cautioned artists against hate speech or painting a group of people in a degrading form that insight hatred or violence.
The Chairman of Windsor Gallery, Mr Richard Vedelago said that the aim of the exhibition was to promote the humanitarian week which was sued by the UN to amplify social issues such as human trafficking and women empowerment among others.
He said that the exhibition was also to enable Abuja residents interface and connect with various arts from across Africa and encounter the message they carry.
The chairman said that the event also sought to engage youths and help them understand the power of art to positively amplify certain subjects that needed to be addressed.
“Art is a positive force and we are hopeful to use it powerfully with this partnership with the UN; art is captivating force when you are able to use it in the right way.
“Art can light your spirit, art is massively under valued in Africa, the global art market is about 44 billion dollars a year and I think it is important that we shift.
“We have seen Afro beats developed the way it has and we are saying that art in the form of paintings and sculptural works can be the next driving force in Africa.
“We want the youths to have their own voice, we want them to engage and have their own opinion,” he said.
Vedelago said that there were 12 leading contemporary artists from Nigeria, Mail, Cameron, Ivory Cost at the exhibition.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ms Chidinma Mordi, an artist at the exhibition, said that, art was a natural expression of an individual’s gift, talent and autonomy.
She said that her art portrayef Nigeria’s cultural diversity, buttressed human rights especially women and provoked conversation.
“Generally, the reception of arts in Nigeria is very low; we say sports cuts across cultures, it is a language everyone can relate to and I wish Nigerians can understand that art too cuts across cultures.
“We just want to see Nigerians generally become more acceptable to arts, that’s the only challenge for me,” Mordi said. (NAN)
