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The paintings on the columns at Falomo have been a cause for excitement in preparation for Lagos at 50. Our fascination with them not only lies in their beauty but in the fact that a space that was just what it was, a space, now bursts with meaning. Passersby and drivers now slow down to appreciate a history that has somehow been forgotten.
The artist behind the paintings is the middle-aged, petite, but strong Polly Alakija. Approaching the artist was easier than expected and OLAMIDE JINADU was able to have a brief conversation with her.
What exactly inspired this project?
It’s quite a long story. When I worked for James Cubitt Architects here at Falomo, I would watch this site from the marble towers wondering if there was something I could do with this space. I would come down here to spend time just to get a feel of what the space is like, which i think is important. More Lagosians should get out of their cars once in a while to get a feel of what it’s like to stand in spaces.
It might sound a bit strange but if you stand at that end (points to her right from the middle column), as you go under the bridge the acoustic changes, it becomes a bit muffled. I’m not really religious but it reminds me of my local church in the United Kingdom, Norman Abbey with the columns right at the end of the nave of the church, so for me this resonates with that. Not in the sense that it’s spiritual but that it feels protected, even with the madness going on around, it’s kind of a time-out space. Even when we’re working here we’re protected from the rain and the sun, you know, we’re covered.
A lot of the work is centered on women why is that?
I wanted to celebrate women. As a woman, I find that there are hardly any spaces here that women take up. It might sound corny but you know the saying that goes “She is a pillar of strength”. I feel like that’s what women are in the society especially here. I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on our work and a lot of them are asking why women? So I ask them, who occupies most of the positions in our society, and most replied with a male figure. I believe that women need their space as well. I asked these same men who were critical of the work, who the most important person in their life was. Most replied with the female figures in their lives.
Are you looking forward to working on other spaces in Lagos?
I’d love to. Lagos has many spaces that have been left forgotten and could be revived. Projects such as this remind us of how important this city is to us.
