Abubakar Adam Ibrahim and Benjamin Abana Celebrated at Out of the Box II Exhibition – Akumbu Uche

On Saturday, the 21st of February, art and literature took centre stage at the Out of the Box II exhibition in Abuja.

Hosted at the residence of the Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, in partnership with 7 River Capital, an investment advisory firm, the event honoured the works of award-winning author Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, whose novel, Season of Crimson Blossoms, won the 2016 Nigerian Prize for Literature and marquee artist, Benjamin Abana, who gained prominence after winning the title of Denmark’s best portrait painter in 2019.

In their respective opening remarks, Massimo De Luca, the Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Victoria Minaise, Chairperson, 7 River Capital spoke about how important art is to fostering human connections and meaningful progress.

The spotlighted creatives joined the event virtually. Benjamin Abana, who is of dual Danish and Nigerian heritage, shared that his recent paintings, which were on display at the event, were inspired by his wish to document the everyday lives of his extended family in Adamawa while Abubakar Adam Ibrahim expressed gratitude to his readers for their continued support of his novel since its original publication in 2015 by Parrésia Publishers.

The Ambassador of Denmark to Nigeria, Jens Ole Bach Hansen, praised Abana’s work for its ability to build bridges not only between Denmark and Nigeria, but between Europe and Africa. In a similar vein, Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, COO of Spine and Label Bookshop and former news editor at Daily Trust, lauded the enduring appeal of Season of Crimson Blossoms and encouraged Northern Nigerian creatives to follow both Abana and Ibrahim’s examples in giving voice to the humanity of the region through art and literature.

The event attracted a host of diplomats, humanitarians, creatives, and arts enthusiasts. Prominent guests included Roberto Mengoni, Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria; Peter Guschelbauer, Ambassador of The Republic of Austria; Christian Redl, Austrian Deputy Head of Mission; Solveig Andresen, Business Counsellor at the Royal Norwegian Embassy; Chikodi Onyemelara, Deputy Programmes Manager at the British Council; Lucille Haddad, Deputy Director at Institut Français; visual artist Ifesinachi Nwanyanwu, and gender rights activist Hassana Maina among others.

Guests were served Nigerian and French refreshments from Café de Vie.

***Photographs courtesy of Emma Creative Photography