Art exhibitions during the show
By Francis Odupute in Benin
The drawing studio of the department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Benin (UNIBEN) was bustling with life and creative frenzy on Thursday, the 2th day of August, 2025. The event was “Unveiling Talent, Inspiring Creativity”, a drawing competition by the Njoku Kenneth Art and Talent Hunt Foundation in collaboration with the National Association of Fine and Applied Arts Students, UNIBEN.
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“We’re here to celebrate art; we’re here to hunt for young talents”, said Dr. Kenneth Njoku, founder and convener of the event.
“It’s an art competition – drawing competition, specifically. The structure is to get the best draftsman, through drawing, of the undergraduates of the University of Benin. In a larger sense we intend to carry other universities along as the program evolves. We’re still test-running. This is the third time we are test-running before we start inviting other art schools in Nigeria to come and compete.
We want a situation where visual artists will be celebrities. “Celebrities should not stop at the table of performing artists. Visual artists can also be celebrities; that’s where we’re heading, and by God’s grace it will come to pass”, Njoku explained.
“There were elimination stages to the drawing competition. After the first stage, ten peoplewill be eliminated, the second stage ten people will be eliminated, and so on until we get to the last stage where we have the last ten. The ten finalists will now compete from where we get the first winner, the second winner, the third and so on.”
“The students are tested on quick sketches, lineal accuracy; gesture drawing; then finally detailed drawing, from there we get the first, second, third fourth and other winners”, he said.
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The competition is free and this year almost a hundred students participated. Current eligibility criteria include that you must be a student of Fine and Applied Arts, UNIBEN, to participate.
Winners of the NJK D COMPETITION 2025 were: EWEKA FLOURISH (first prize); ABUMERE SOLOMON OSETOHAMEN (second prize); SAINT JOSHUA ABOLANN (third prize); IALKE JOSEPH OFODIEGBE (fourth prize); 5.JOSEPH NWABUEZE (fifth prize); 6. LOKONA MICHAEL OLUWAGBENGA (sixth prize); EHIZELE IGHODAHO PAUL (seventh prize); TERKUMA ORKAON (eighth prize);ARANSOWAN MIRACLE (ninth prize); CRYSTALLINE CHINAZA (tenth prize).
