MOTTO: Art for Mental & Environmental Sanitation

HISTORY/IDEOLOGY OF ULA

Unique Lifestyle Art is the natural outcome of creative engagement of mental health and environmental sustainability issues over a period of about 24 years. This period conceivably began with Yusuf’s exit exhibition themed SELF EXPRESSION from the tertiary educational level. At the level, the SELF EXPRESSION show played out as the beginning of a journey of SELF ACTUALIZATION that eventually led him to visual artistic expression for the sake of the environment and mental health. Hence the motto of Unique Lifestyle Art as “Maintaining Mental & Environmental Sanity”.

In engaging these two critical areas, Yusuf has evolved as a multidisciplinary artist who deploys a broad range of media to communicate his ideas. And these media include Acrylic 0n Canvas, Oil on Canvas, Aluminum Metal Foil, Plastic Collage, & Mixed Media. He regards art as a religion for visual and material proselytization about issues & concepts that include but are not limited to Mental Health Advocacy & Environmental Sustainability. The history of ULA finds expression in the Yusuf’s solo and group exhibitions featuring a total of 23 group and 2 shows that speak to the aforementioned critical areas.

THEME/CAPTION LOCATION SOLO OR GROUP YEAR

SELF EXPRESSION Final Year Exhibition, Auchi, Edo State Group 1998

CREATIVE IMPULSE & PEACE SUSTENANCE Apollo Presidential Hotel, Sapele, Delta State Solo 2004

OPEN HEAVEN National Museum, Benin City Group 2008

MINATURE EXHIBITION Lessedra Gallery, Bulgaria Group 2010

VISUALS OF ANCIENT BENIN KINGDOM National Gallery, Benin City Group 2011

RADIANCE OF ARTISTRY National Gallery, Benin City Group 2013

ARTS & HEART (Charity Exhibition) Ikoyi, Lagos State Group 2015

OXFORD INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR London Group 2016

THAT ART FAIR Cape Town, South Africa Group 2016

DIALOGUE – BEYOND FRONTIER Galleria Noko, Port Elizabeth, South Africa Group 2016

MANGROVES FROM THE WATERS United Arab Emirates (UAE) Group 2017

AMP EXHIBITION ABU DHABI United Arab Emirates (UAE) Group 2018

OTA ART FAIR Ogun State Group 2018

MENTAL SANITY Cartoon Art Gallery, Dubai Solo 2019

WORLD ARTS DUBAI (WAD) Dubai Group 2019

MAURITIUS INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR (MIAF) Mauritius Group 2019

ARKANE AFRICA Morocco International Art Fair Group 2019

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS EXHIBITION Online Group 2020

ELIXIR (SCULPTURE ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA EXHIBITION) Group 2021

A CATALYST FOR SUSTAINABILITY (UPCYCLING) Dubai Group 2021

MINATURE ART FAIR Lagos, Nigeria Group 2021

ABSTRACT ART FAIR Lagos, Nigeria Group 2022

HUB SPACE Dubai Group 2022

SOCIETY OF NIGERIAN ARTISTS Lagos, Nigeria Group 2022

ELIXIR II, SCULPTURORS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA Lagos, Nigeria Group 2022

VISION, MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

Mission

to contribute to the development of the visual art sub sector & society in general through creative engagements of concepts that address environmental sustainability & mental health.

Vision

to nurture and celebrate a creative space where the power of the visual arts to impact on mental health and
environmental sustainability is more broadly appreciated in Africa.

In order to achieve the above mission and vision, ULA regards the following Objectives as particularly crucial;

1. Creative collaborations with stakeholders in visual art development, education, non-profit organizations, mental
health institutions, etc.

2. Sustained research into the potent developmental connections between visual art on one hand and mental
health/environmental sustainability on the other.

3. Advocacy towards improved government policies as it affects the visual art sub sector through institutions such asthe National Gallery of Art (NGA), National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), etc.

EXHIBITIONS

MENTAL SANITY Cartoon Art Gallery, Dubai Solo 2019

Watch and Enjoy the cruise

EXHIBITIONS: Group – 23, Solo – 2
GENRES: Abstract Expressionism, Mixed Media, Recycling and Upcycling
PROFESSIONAL/NGO ASSOCIATIONS:
Fellow, Global Arts In Medicine (GAIMF)
Member of :
Artists Needed (Chicago, USA)
Society Of Nigerian Artist ( SAN)
Sculptors Association Of Nigeria ( ScAN)
Society For Positive Living (SPL)

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Ambassador – Numatville Tourism Village ( Abuja)