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Rate This Contest Entry: Contest: June 30th, 2005 Author: Morgan Nwanguma Emeka is an art graduate from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. He had been freelancing and practicing as a full-lime studio artist - a wonderful painter indeed. But the hostility of the Nigerian economic climate was not helping matters for the young and struggling artist at the time. Emeka therefore was not making adequate income from his studio practice especially with the crowded responsibilities that hinged on his young shoulders. At this time, Emeka was getting prepared to marry his heartthrob, his long-time devoted fiancee of about ten years. In addition, he needed to move out of the squalid one-room apartment he had been managing with his brother for years, even while he was a student in the university. He needed money therefore to move into his own apartment. But where was he to find the money? These days, patrons really drive a hard bargain, and the typical Nigerian is not exactly an avid lover or patron of art. He often dreamed of America and Europe where there is a better appreciation and patronage and support for the arts. But this is Nigeria, and the likes of Emeka are still throwing away their talents for pittance or nothing, In 1999 Emeka was set to wed Stella, and still in his financial mess, but his hopes were anchored in God. By this period he had run into Ngozi, a former course mate in Zaria and colleague, in Lagos. She was a mobile art dealer just starting off too. Luckily she began to help Emeka dispose of some of his works while she made her own little commissions. But unlike Emeka whose background is of very little means, Ngozi's people are well to do. And so she would on some occasions help her colleague out of his predicament, sometimes by advancing him up front before selling off any paintings for him. In the course of Emeka's traversing around Lagos - the hub of the art circuit in the country, he ran into a garage sale organised by a white expatriate around the exclusive and posh Ikoyi neighbourhood. He picked interest and went to see if he could see anything cheap that he liked. On getting to the scene of the garage sale, people were milling around and looking through heaps of used household items and personal effects. While every body else was scrambling and haggling about old furniture, clothing and utensils, etc., the eye of the artist caught sight of a small canvas painting of about 30cm x 40cm. He rushed at it and on close viewing, saw the name B. Enwonwu signed characteristically at the bottom of the little picture called Ije - a local suburb close to where the garage sale was taking place! The man in attendance was approached for the price of this little painting, which he said was N250. Emeka pretending not to value what he has in his hand, still went ahead to try and beat the price down to N200. But the man in charge disagreed. This picture was given to the late husband of the woman of the house by the artist himself to whom she had been acquainted. World-renowned Professor Ben Enwonwu, who is also late, was the first professor of art in Nigeria and trained at the popular Slade School, University of London, England. As a young African then, shortly after his studies in England, he had the singular honour of the current Queen of England (Elizabeth II) having to pose for him for a live portrait sculpture. Emeka had nothing in his pocket but pleaded with the sales attendant to reserve the picture for him till the next day. The next day, Emeka rushed back to pick up his treasure, but the price had gone up to N500 courtesy the white expatriate woman. At this point, he could not wait to argue but instead paid instantly and quickly made away from the scene. By the time he got home he showed it to his fiancee who wondered why he had behaved so 'stupidly'. But Emeka told her he planned to resell the painting. And so he carefully cleaned it up. But before he could take it out to trade, Stella asked him to expunge the name signed on it and replace it with his own name so the credit could go to him. At this Emeka retorted, "Are you out of your mind? It is this same name I want to sell not even just the painting!" But the wife-to-be could not understand. Thereafter, it was time to again locate Ngozi the art dealer. Emeka did just that and Ngozi went away with the painting. They had reached an agreement and he wanted at least twenty thousand naira back for his merchandise - clever boy. A good thing too, Ngozi is very honest and reliable. In a couple of weeks, having sold the painting to a well-known collector in Lagos, she had deducted her commission, and gave Emeka the total sum of one hundred and twenty thousand naira! This however began a new turn in the life of Emeka. By the coming year he married his sweetheart Stella, moved into a mini flat and soon bought for their use a second-hand car. 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