Persistence, courage, dedication and musing all return Duke Asidere to the summit.

He is one of those few humans who want to educate young people about marriage. In fact, the marketing mix for career and marriage. Duke Asidere was once an insider and he is a complete documentary film when everything seems to be heading the rocks.

A Nigerian painter, teacher and rocker man. Duke Asidere was the son of a Seaman, who was always far away from home. “I am the son of a Seaman and I grew up in Lagos to be honest. I am not a stowed. Neither hid at the rear end of any Lagos bound vehicle” he tried to explain to a younger friend he met at Alliance Francaise in Lagos at the monthly ‘Point of View Series.’

He loves his children and ready to go the moon for them to succeed. They’re his biggest assets. Duke loves music in his studio. And always give respect to anyone and craves for it as well. He is also a hidden photographer. Ace photographer Don Barber actually thought him photography.

Talking about Duke and his new Sean Connery look is something more relishing. Nevertheless, his career span since 1995, has been a rendezvous. A graduate of Fine Art from Ahmadu Bello University and majored in Painting.

He believes in reinvention and the reason he set up PlaySpot Studio, a creative hub and office. Duke has taught at Auchi Polytechnic and he knew how artists get stuck in their careers. They find it difficult to move the business or seal the deals diligently. A personal experience he shared on the table in the evening at Alliance Francaise.

PlaySpot Studio has organised educational programs and art workshops in many communities in Lagos alone, drawing support from other artists yearly.

High spirit and optimist, even when he lost his studio to inferno some years ago, he quickly bounced back to the summit.

Cracking ribs is one of his pastime. He shared a joke with the writer who has been absent from the art scene that the writer reminded him of his cousin with similar trait. “I have a cousin that disappears at will, I always call him lost.”

And a brief interlude from the writer to catch up with event at Alliance Francaise amphitheater, just to come out and join Duke Asidere and his young friend but found them missing at the table. The writer became lost.

Words /Ireho Aito /Artworks /Hourglass gallery.