JOS, PLATEAU: When Jacob Onoja opens the door to welcome guests into his house in Jos, capital of central Nigeria’s Plateau State, the first thing that catches one’s eye are the exquisite paintings on the walls. This is an artist who lives and breathes art.
“As far as I can remember, I have always loved scribbling, drawing, painting and visualising imaginary things in the sky. I did it in my teenage years, and I still do in my adult life,” he said.
Onoja started painting professionally in 1987 when he opened a studio, the Diadem Art Gallery. To refine his talent, he enrolled at Ahmadu Bello University, where he earned his first degree in fine and applied art.
After his mandatory National Youth Service Corps, Onoja displayed some of his paintings at the NICON Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. Later, he got a master’s degree from Ahmadu Bello University and a doctorate in Art History in 2014 before joining the University of Jos as a lecturer. But he never let go of his private studio engagement.
“It hasn’t been an easy ride juggling both the academics and private studio practice, but what keeps me moving is the long-term result of the impact of my work. I have already started seeing the fruit of my labour as some of my students are now professional artists,” he said.
While Onoja uses his brush to depict a wide range of subjects in his canvases, the theme of peace is close to his heart.
“I was born and still live here in Plateau State, a place that has suffered numerous insecurity, both cross-border and inter-communal,” he said.
Plateau State is one of several northern Nigerian states where inter-communal and ethno-religious riots that often result in thousands of deaths are commonplace. Through his art, Onoja projects peace as a value. As such, it is presented not only as a right but also something that every individual needs to consciously strive for. This he describes as a form of community therapy.
“I try to tell stories of peace to entrap people into my space of therapy,” he explained.
In 2014, Onoja launched an annual exhibition dubbed “Landscapes and More” that brings people from within and outside of Plateau State together to talk about and discuss peace as they experience the stories behind his paintings. Since then, it has been held every December as an artistic event to “wrap up the year”.
“It is a time of the year I look forward to and many attendees who have consistently been a part of it have made it their annual routine,” he said.
One of those who have been attending the exhibition is Nenkinan Deshi.
“Onoja’s consistency in bringing peace messages is so healing… the scars of the instability in our [Plateau] state that I had nursed for years have been healed by the exhibitions. I appreciate his work and determination to preach peace through his art,” Deshi said.
Onoja says he draws inspiration for his work from nature: flowers, buzzing bees, the skyline, waterfalls, and everything nature offers. But above all, he is inspired by the divine.
Onoja’s work has enabled him to lead the Zaman Tare project, a peace partnership between CANFOD, an NGO based in Abuja, and the European Union, from January 2018 until January 2020. Zaman Tare means “peaceful co-existence” in the Hausa language spoken in most of northern Nigeria.
Its impact was summed up by Anas Ibrahim Suleiman, a community youth leader in Nasarawa Filin Ball, one of the ‘hot zones” in Plateau.
“I have never experienced something so great and more than ever before, I have seen the need for us to work for peace together as a community,” said Suleiman.
Onoja has also been engaged in other group and solo exhibitions, with some of his paintings appearing in foreign publications and receiving great patronage.
He also says that art pays most of his bills besides being a fulfilling career.
His paintings sell between 7,000 naira (US$15) for the smallest size to 350,000 naira (US$780) for the big pieces. However, the prices can also be higher depending on the place and organisers of the exhibition.
To speak to a broader audience, Onoja has gone digital and is also using Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) to sell his work.
“Digitalisation, especially the NFTs, is revolutionising African art. More creatives should leverage the technology to advertise and sell their artworks,” he said.
On future plans, Onoja says: “I want to grow and nurture this “baby”, the Diadem Art Gallery, into a huge enterprise specialising in collecting paintings and exhibitions on (the) theme of peace and co-existence. I will continue to devote all my energy to art, my career as a lecturer and peace crusader”.
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Jacob Onoja, an artist based in Jos, Nigeria, began his professional career in 1987 with the opening of his studio, Diadem Art Gallery. He holds multiple degrees, culminating in a PhD in Art History from Ahmadu Bello University, and is currently a lecturer at the University of Jos. Balancing his academic career with his studio work, Onoja focuses on themes of peace, a response to the communal and inter-communal conflicts in Plateau State.
Onoja's annual exhibition, "Landscapes and More," launched in 2014, brings people together to explore themes of peace through his art. The exhibition has developed a dedicated following and provides a therapeutic experience for attendees. Onoja's work is inspired by nature and the divine and has gained recognition both locally and internationally, including participation in various group and solo exhibitions.
Onoja led the Zaman Tare project, a peace initiative supported by the European Union and an Abuja-based NGO, from 2018 to 2020. Through this project, he promoted peaceful co-existence in conflict-affected areas. His paintings sell from $15 to $780 or more, and he has embraced digitalization and NFTs to expand his market reach. Looking ahead, Onoja aims to grow Diadem Art Gallery into a major center for art focused on peace and coexistence while continuing his roles as an artist, lecturer, and peace advocate.
