Falomo Bridge is getting a facelift, thanks to the remarkable art of Polly Alakija, and the Lagos State government. Apparently, the government is going all out for the Lagos at 50 celebrations, and Project Falomo is a notable part of it. According to reports, Alakija was commissioned by the Lagos Sate government to revamp the underside of Falomo Bridge, and that is exactly what the innovative artist is doing.
The Nigerian, UK and South African based artist is vastly known for her mural paintings, something she says she really enjoys. According to her, painting objects demystifies painting. “For some reason painting with oils on canvases comes with an intrinsic value, an immediate expectation that this is “real” art. [But] Painting an old VW beetle is just fun!” She said of her murals during an interview.
“I do love street art, murals, some graffiti art that I see happening. I enjoy the fact that it is ephemeral up to a point, that it can’t be owned, framed, hung up on a wall.”
Credit – Konbini
During an interview last year, Alakija did say that she would love to find more iconic buildings to work on, “…An old building on Lagos Marina would make a stunning canvas, an old Brazilian house in Ibadan. It would be great to celebrate these buildings before they disappear due to much-needed redevelopment,” she said. Well, while Falomo Bridge is neither of those, it is iconic. And it certainly makes a stunning canvas.
