Adedokun Waliyu 
As Art Master Africa Competition by BIC Plc gets winners for this year’s edition, Nigerian ballpoint pen artists dominated the contest.
Under the theme Celebrating Africa, it encouraged artists to create artwork that represents their personal identity and their unique perceptions of the African continent and its diverse cultures using the BIC ballpoint pen.
BIC has long been connected to art and regularly celebrates the creativity and originality of talented individuals.
This year’s Nosakhare Igbinosa’s for portrait entitled: “Bona” won first place. Hezekiah Okon for portrait titled “Proudly an African”, second; and Moses Ojeleye for portrait titled “Amaka”, and Dumbor Debeeh for portrait “Echoes of joy” came third place. Okon for portrait titled “Proudly an African” is the national Nigerian winner.
Winning pieces were chosen out of 6,574 pieces submitted, marking a significant increase from last year’s. The art pieces were selected by a panel of judges which comprised experts from BIC, artists from the region, and previous editions of the contests.
The national winners across Africa were the following: “Celebrating Africa in Harmony with Wildlife” by Maiku Fred (Uganda); “African Culture portrait” by Griffin Lundi (Kenya) “Imwe hamwe na Kamere (One with Nature)” by Romeon Mwiseneza (South Africa); “Mother Africa” by Essadik Laila (Morocco) and “Africa with my pen” by Mouhamed Boudhri (Tunisia).
The Art Master Africa winner received a prize of $2,000, while second and third place winners received $1,000 and $500. National winners got $500 each as well as BIC hampers.
Winners in Nigeria were celebrated at an event in partnership with Alliance Française de Lagos. A BIC Art Master Africa art exhibition kicked off at the Alliance Française de Lagos, which opened last Wednesday and runs until the December 12, 2023.
At the event, a panel discussion, moderated by Jola Ayeye (host, writer, and storyteller), on building a sustainable art career in the African art industry took place. In presence of Claire Idera, Visual Artist, and Influencer; Fola David,
General Manager art in Nigeria Guillaume Groues said: “In its fifth edition, Art Master Africa continues to shine a light on ballpoint pen artists as they express themselves through creativity.
Our flagship contest has seen tremendous growth year-on-year with higher participation numbers especially from Nigeria. We are proud of the platform that we have created for Nigerian youth and of the phenomenal artwork produced.
This year’s results are a testament to Nigerian youth’s creativity and dedication to the art industry.”
