Nike Arts opens gallery in Abuja

As part of efforts aimed at improving the Nigeria’s arts and cultural heritage, Nike Arts recently commissioned a new gallery in the city of Abuja.

A massive art gallery and one of the best in the country, the founder, Nike Okundaye said art provides therapeutic and decorative value and a good source of investment

According to her, Abuja is a city where people love to visit, so she decided to build the gallery when she got the permit Last year July.

“Another two galleries will be in place in two year’s time. So that people can come here and relax and enjoy art because Abuja is a city with different people, so when they come, art would calm them down like a therapy. Art is like medicine that calms people down. She said”

She says the gallery has a workshop where students can come from all over the country to learn how to print on textiles and others.

“So when we opened in 2000, we trained the residents how to weave and print and now they know how to weave and print and also train others, this project will benefit mostly women looking for white collar jobs but can’t get, she added”

Febi Shara, a Textile designer who has been with Nike art since 2013 said it is an amazing experience seeing the gallery in Abuja.

“She has helped thousands of young people and I am one of the people who is lucky to be part of them as a young growing artist. So this can help showcase your works, Febi said”

“My model is training the trainers, I train you and you train others, I started my training workshop in 1967 from there I went to the US to train the African Americans direct craft and it worked so from there, I started teaching Nigerian women too on artistic crafts, Nike said”

Established in 1983 in Osogbo, Osun State, she said Nike Arts Centre has provided training to hundreds of aspiring young performance artists and crafts people.