Telling art remarkable stories

The Engineer and a Rebel

I always see myself as a conqueror. I worked in the corporate environment for five years before turning in my resignation in 2005. No regrets! My first studio was in the apartment that I rented way back in Surulere part of Lagos.

Roosevelt, the American president at the turn of the 20th century in one of his many vibrant speeches said, “A good father comes from a good husband, a good husband comes from a good man, a good man comes from a good boy and a good boy comes from a good son. ”

Sometimes, human talents can be nurtured into prominence through support and hereditary traits. Yet, there are times when rebellious causes can make talents to go against the norm, rules and traditions in a genealogy.

Alimi Adewale’s route took another turn through itching moments in his life. He becomes animated when talking about those early years. “Though my father is a trained engineer, then, I had to tow his line and I went to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ilorin. Along the line, after graduating from college, I started working but I wasn’t satisfied due to the innate talent that I started exhibiting and exploring, concerning my artistic gift. I saw myself going to various exhibitions and art shows, visiting art galleries to meet artists in their studios around Lagos,” Alimi explained.

“Before I went for my compulsory National Youth Service Scheme in Enugu, I decided to go for an apprenticeship with a great artist called Kamoru Sarumi for three months in the Yaba environs of Lagos.”

While serving in Enugu, Alimi had enough time to go to colleges around, such as Nsukka and IMT to meet the art lecturers and interact with them.

After his youth service program, Adewale Alimi got a plum job in an engineering firm but the satisfaction wasn’t just there. “I was one of the young system analysts and the pay was good.”

He reveals that he was going to work in the morning and coming home to work on his art in the night, creating pieces to his satisfaction. “At a point in time, I started asking myself, will I be stuck in alfl these firms, doing maintenance and system analyses all my life? Will I be going through the same daily routine?” He had to resign his pay job and took his destiny and he readily admitted that turning in his resignation letter was one of the most important decisions he made in his life.

It is a common knowledge that life itself rolls in stages for the man. Life impression has to be managed effectively. Alimi puts it succinctly, “It is like a man riding a lion, people think oh, this guy is brave! And he is thinking how the hell did I get on a lion and how do I keep from getting eaten?”

Adewale Alimi confesses it has been good for him after taken such decision which he has no regrets. He has continued to put everything into his pasion, as he also admitted “when you play your part very well, then, your art will speak for you. Regardless of obstacles, you have to follow the path you have created for yourself. I always see myself as a conqueror. I worked in the corporate environment for five years before turning in my resignation in 2005. No regrets! My first studio was in the apartment that I rented way back in Surulere part of Lagos.

Adewale Alimi works from his home studio in Ajah, Lagos with plethora of artworks. This tall, dark, amiable and hunky artist is a busy bee in this impressionable home he acquired. His studio hangs upstairs with a wooden staircase leading anyone in. While the office is a detached space from the house. One of his absolute creative measures for space management.

Alimi confesses, “art is so interesting. But there must be discipline despite your flexible working hours. If someone is not careful, one easily gets astray. I have a research period on series I do. Another time I call education period. That time I read and chew the books that I ordered from Amazon. The painting period is the least one out of the earmarked periods. One must work with some primary values that are inherent in one’s choice of profession like discipline, professionalism, tolerance, managing the commerce, broadening one’s view and paying the premium. There is a saying that when you love what you do, you will never work all your life, he concluded.

To be continued…

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