I
t is difficult to discuss the history
of the Jesuits without mentioning
education. St. Ignatius of Loyola,
the founder of the Jesuits, says
education is a strong means of
helping souls. Thus, Jesuits eventually
became known as the “school masters
of Europe”. For many centuries, the Jes-
uits did not faulter once they undertook
this ministry. However, one question
that readily comes to mind is, “what
disciplines did the Jesuits teach”? Le-
onor Osorio, who was Viceroy of Sicily
in 1547, was eager to have Jesuits found
a college in his domain. Accordingly,
when he and the officials of the city of
Messina finally convinced St. Ignatius
to send five Jesuit scholastics and five
teachers to found a college. They agreed
that the Jesuits would give instructions
in all disciplines of the time – theology,
cases of conscience, “arts”, rhetoric, and
grammar. We can conclude that the arts
have been a key aspect of the educational
paradigm of the Jesuits. The Jesuits have
kept that tradition and affinity for arts
for many centuries.
In fidelity to their affinity for arts, the
Jesuits in Nigeria recently hosted an art
exhibition in Lagos. Titled “Laudato Si:
Care for our common home”, the exhi-
bition was a response to Pope Francis’
call in his encyclical “Laudato Si” to care
for our common home. The exhibition
was held between Saturday 31stAugust
– Sunday 1st September, 2019. The pri-
mary aim of the exhibition was to draw
attention to environment issues through
art and to challenge Nigerians to reflect
on ways of improving our environment
and responding to environmental cri-
ses. Organized by Rev. Dr. Ugo Nweke,
SJ, and curated by Enekwachi Agwu
(MFA), this year’s exhibition was the
second time St. Ignatius House was host-
ing an art exhibition.
The exhibition drew art lovers as well
as environmental justice enthusiasts from
various walks of life. The special guests
onthe occasion were Mrs. Taiwo Ajai-Lyc-
ette, OON, and Dr. Newton Jibunoh.
Ajai-Lycette is a renowned actress, jour-
nalist, television presenter, and cosmetol-
ogist. She also featured on Tinsel, one of
the most successful television dramas on
Nigerian television in recent times. Dr.
Jibunoh is an explorer,environmentalist
and historian who has traveled across the
Sahara Desert three times. Both Ajai-Lyc-
ette and Jibunoh graced the occasion in
appreciation of the splendid works of the
various artists who displayed several mas-
terpieces.
The art works exhibited were particular-
ly captivating because they capture vari-
ous elements which are responsible for
environment degradation in our Nigerian
context. While Dr. Ayo Adewunmi’s pho-
tographs depict the consequences of oil
spillage and exposure to dust and fumes
from quarries, Klaranze Okhide’s mas-
tery of mixed media invites the audience
to ponder on new ways of waste manage-
ment and creating an ecofriendly environ-
ment. As Izuu Muoneme’s works lure one
to appreciate how used cans of beer and
soft drinks could be creatively recycled,
Ernest Ogbonna’s tyre-sculptures are sim-
ply breathtaking and thought provoking.
At the same time, Grace Ighavbota in-
vites her audience, through oil on canvas,
to conceptualize what a fading paradise
could look like.
Youths were not left out. Michael Obi
and Ayooluwa Olugbenga, students of St.
Francis Catholic Secondary School Idimu,
and Holy Child Secondary School, Ikoyi,
respectively, attracted the attention of their
audience through paintings that reflect
how the youths feel towards a declining
mother earth. Although he exhibited no
art works, Uchechukwu Oguike, SJ, thrilled
the audience with a powerful rendition of
his poem,Killing the Riddle. The contem-
porary satiritic-narrative provokes one’s
emotions and imagination on how dis-
tracted we have become concerning envi-
ronmental crisis in Nigeria.
Many who attended were wowed at how
art could invite one to appreciate nature
from a different perspective. Indeed, art
can do justice. At the heart of the Pope’s
encyclical was an invitation to care for the
earth our common home. The Ignatius
House Art Exhibition was a means towards
creatively caring for our common home,
and awakening the consciousness of Nige-
rians on environmental crisis. Undoubted-
ly, God the greatest artist ever, designed the
earth, …‘and He saw that it was very good!’
