Die Liste an Ausstellungen und internationalen Symposien (Nigeria, Südafrika, Italien, Deutschland und Österreich) von Reginald Osuji-Njemanze ist bemerkenswert. 1971 in Nigeria geboren, lebt  der Künstler nun in Kärnten. Radio Afrika TV hat ihn bei einem internationalen Bildhauersymposium in Stubenberg, Steiermark, kennen gelernt. Für die Tribüne Afrikas bittet Katharina Schleicher den Bildhauer zum Gespräch.

Tribüne Afrikas: Mit 20 Jahren begannen Sie Kunst zu studieren in Lagos, Nigeria. Wie kam es zur Entscheidung Bildhauer zu werden?

Osuji-Njemanze: Right from childhood the decision to be a sculptor was already there. Two of my elder brothers were painters. So art was all around me and it was a natural thing to follow the urge of destiny.

Übten Sie zuvor andere Berufe aus? Wenn ja, welche?

Osuji-Njemanze: Not really, the only thing was that before my admission into the art school I worked half a year at the Nigerian ministry of finance, as a finance assistant. So, since after that time all I do is art.

Was sagten Ihre Eltern dazu, dass Ihr Sohn Künstler werden wollte?

Osuji-Njemanze: My father died when I was five and our mother never really interfered in our choice of occupation. For her, it was important we did what we liked to do best, as long as it really made us happy.

2006 begannen Sie in Krems, Österreich, Multimedia und Medienkunstgeschichte zu studieren. Was führte Sie nach Österreich?

Osuji-Njemanze: In our secondary school days I was fascinated by the work and activities of the Austrian artists Susanne Wenger who lived and worked in Nigeria the major part her life. During the art academy, there was another Austrian artists Joseph Beier that conducted a very succesful metal art workshop in our department. Furthermore, I saw myself getting more interested in Media Art as a new area of art that try to bring together the effect of technology, art and science under one umbrella. As at 2006 or thereabout, the Danube university in Krems, was the only university around the globe that offered a masters programme in Media Art History and I got an art scholarship to study there.

Ihre Liste an Ausstellungen und internationalen Symposien (Nigeria, Südafrika, Italien, Deutschland und Österreich) ist bemerkenswert lange. Kann man da überhaupt sagen, dass Sie in Villach wohnen oder sind Sie die meiste Zeit unterwegs?

Osuji-Njemanze: I’m always on the road especially around the summer to take part in international art symposiums or exhibitions as the case may be. It’s always a great time to interact with people of different cultures.

Das Thema des „Connect In Art“-Bildhauersymposiums in Stubenberg war „Geld – Segen und Fluch“. Was waren Ihre Gedanken zum diesem Thema, als Sie ihre Skulptur anfertigten?

Osuji-Njemanze: The sculpture is a stylised female figure carrying a sphere. The sphere signifies the world we live in. So, when we believe that the world is made up of money alone then it could turn out to be a Curse. Then again, when we try to live a balanced life and try not place more than necessary value on money, we could have a harmonious and blessed life.
Therefore we all, like the sculpture in Stubenberg, carry our worlds in our own hands; we only make out of it, what we want – that could translate into a curse or blessing.

Was haben Sie sich von diesem Bildhauersymposium in der Steiermark mitgenommen?

Osuji-Njemanze: A sculpture symposium is always a great time of interaction for artists. Watching fellow artists at work and interacting with different kinds of people that come by, can be great source of inspiration. For Stubenberg it was especially beautiful to work and dive into the lake when it gets too sunny and it was also fun to learn some dialects of Steirmark.

Wie gehen Sie an ein Werk heran? Haben Sie vorher ein Konzept im Kopf oder lassen Sie sich von der Intuition leiten?

Osuji-Njemanze: I would say both. It all depends on the emotional feeling that led to the particular work and each work has very different circumstances.

Es scheint, dass Sie eine Vorliebe zu großen Skulpturen haben. Welche Bedeutung haben diese für Sie im Vergleich zu handlichen “Wohnzimmer“-Skulpturen?

Osuji-Njemanze: I find it much more expressive to do larger work compared to smaller one’s. Besides, it takes the same time to do both and I always feel hindered doing smaller work. In my thinking, every artist is different in his relationship to size.

Welche Botschaft wollen Sie mit Ihren Skulpturen ausdrücken? Gibt es ein Hauptthema?

Osuji-Njemanze: The major theme is harmony and movement. I believe life is full of movement; the moment we stop moving the whole world would pass us by. When we understand balance in motion then harmony naturally set in. That is all I try to convey in my sculptures.

Gibt es Personen, Idole, von denen Sie beeinflusst werden? Wenn ja, welche?

Osuji-Njemanze: I appreciate the role played by Constantin Brancusi ;i in the development of modern sculpture. He was one of the few artists of the 20th century who tried to break away from tradition. I especially cherish the way he blended simplicity and sophistication in the creation of form. In our contemporary time it is necessary for us to learn once again the need to differentiate form, material and processes like he did in his time in the creation of his pioneering modern form.

Wie sieht Ihre nahe und ferne Zukunft aus?

Osuji-Njemanze: Well, I think we live in a time of human-machine aesthetics. When we look at product design we see a creative combination technology and conventional processes in the creation of form. I see no reason why conventional sculptors shouldn’t explore how to apply such technology in
art. So, my future is more like an exploratory process of combining technology with art.

Ich bedanke mich für die Zeit, die Sie mir geschenkt haben.

(Tribüne Afrikas Nr.7, 2009)

Infos: www.reginald.space4art.net