‘’ Only an auctioneer can be enthusiastic about all forms of Art’’-Oscar Wilde

BORN INTO THE   ARTS. LIVING WITH   THE ARTS.NOW SET TO TAKE ARTS TO THE VERY MOUNTAIN TOP: AN ENCOUNTER WITH MRS JOSEPHINE OBOH-MACLEOD, THE ADOLOR OF EMU

She is not a run of the mill lady, woman, wife, and mother. She is unconventional in many ways than one

I first encountered her at the grandeur 50 birthday ball of senior writer of Nigeria, Mr. Jahman Anikulapo, the earthswhile Guardian on Sunday editor, held at the prestigious Sheraton hotel and towers, a short while ago

Two factors have prompted my interest in her

The massive and beautiful arts collection at the foyers leading to the hall of the birthday of the great art lover, Jahman. On entry to the hall, I was struck by the beauty of the artistic collection, on enquiry I WAS told it was works of a lady that loved arts and since Jahman is her art brother, she decided to bring her works from her home and gallery to spice the occasion at no cost; not for sale, but just to beautify the place artistically

The second factor that attracted me to this charismatic lady of four children was what I in her wrist during the dinner session that night. On her wrist I saw a set of expensive and antique like beads she was wearing

Being a traditionalist myself, I SUMMON courage to where she was with few friends and family members of the celebrant, exchanging banters

As I walked to her, I WAS bold enough to tell her, I love and admire the beads in her right hands, I was quick to tell her that my late dad was chief in our village, and one of the beads she spotted made me reached out to her

That stamen alone, made her loosing up, and there and then welcomed me and admitted it was not an ordinary beads she was wearing and that as the ADOLOR OF Her kingdom, anytime she steps out she wears priceless beads

Ever since, we have steadily been in touch. Her husband, a most genteel man is British named, Norman C. MacLeod who is past chieftain of an honorary PIPER to the Lagos Caledonian SOCIETY, and a retired Shell petroleum international employee who is now Chief operating officer of Sinopec Nigeria Limited and also a director of Kakafoni limited. Together they are blessed with four lovely children

Any attempt to uncover the real true Mrs. Josephine Oboh-MacLeod is definitely not a kid’s task. When we went to her Ikoyi home, we were held in total awe……………maybe ruptured is more befitting word; from the gate, the corridor, passage etc we saw arts littered like nuts

Inside the inner chamber was a heaven like setting, all surrounded with arts works. ‘’ Are they for sale? ‘’ we asked first before seating down. ‘’ No , they are our personal collections, it must not be strange to you, as I GREW up also as kid seeing arts all  over our home, I WAS AMAZED.

THOUGH the meeting was brief, she pledge based on her integrity to grant us a more elaborate audience at a later date to talk about her life, arts, exploit, international voyage, why she married a white man over her Nigerians admirers and of course how she got her prestigious title as ADOLOR OF EMU kingdom

All these are for later dates…………..but sure we are not about leaving her if she fail to tell us about the mystery of the arts works and art world

Here her: “ART IS A CREATIVE PROCESS THAT WILL NEVER STOP EXISTING. IT IS A GIFT TO US THAT WE NEED TO APPRECIATE. IF WE LOOK AROUND, WE WILL NOTICE THE BEAUTIFUL AND IMPERATIVE WORKS OF THE GREATEST ARTSIT, THE ALMIGHTY’’