Basketball ll Skills Help Artist Reach His Goal Carolyn Ware Contributing Wr Writer Just as Nnamdi has shaped bit by bit am and fired in bronzed penn permanence ence his be beautiful sculptures he feels his own life has been s so shaped by the hand of on one greater than he began life in it 1965 in the small Eastern Nigerian town of to tc parents who were teachers means my father said so the person person person per per- son named Nnamdi i is a continuation continuation con con- of his father His father died of a heart attack when he was only 12 leaving his mother to care for him and his two younger brothers mother recognized her young sons son's talent for drawing and painting painting paint paint- ing and encouraged his love of art Art isn't something people people people peo peo- will encourage you to do because they would rather you do something more But my mother on the contrary encouraged me todo todo to todo do art said His sculptures exemplify the respect he has not only for his mother but for all womanhood His His' native culture culture culture cul cul- ture honors womanhood His art reflects that with reverence reverence reverence rever rever- ence and simple beauty At the age of 15 and his family moved to the city called It was not until age 17 that he began pursuing art seriously attending attending attending attend attend- ing the Institute of Management and Technology in u. u Even before had any formal education his favorite artists were Michelangelo Leonardo Da DaVinci Vinci and Rodan He says he admires them because they reached the apex of their creativity first year ear at art school was a turning turning poi point pointing tin met methis his life One fateful day he and some friends paid a visit to the seniors painting studio He was impressed by the work of Paul a senior student painter The lecture Paul gave him that day became the core of his work Paul told us to draw everyday as if possessed and to make sure we drew something something something some some- thing anything each day and if we did we may someday be even better than him said He took the advice to heart He re remembers embers waking in a realized I panic one night I hadn't drawn he said Crawling his way to the studio studio studio stu stu- dio he found a cup set it up and drew Such persistence has yielded the promise of I Pauls Paul's words Whatever said I become in life he will always trace it back to what Paul told us that day Since childhood wanted to go to America and because of its reputation opportunities He felt if he could get to America he could maximize his potential poten- poten 1 One day as he studied he I looked out his window He saw a group of men playing basketball at a nearby army barracks He wanted to play He asked the coach if it for him to would be possible play The coach impressed accepted his 69 stature by It was rough at first The little kids made fun of me because I was very tall tall like like Michael Jordan But when me the ball all I they gave travel with it I could do was knew though that this would to come to be my avenue America he said His persistence persistence persistence per per- would again pay payoff offIn offIn off In Nigeria from A if f vrin graduate said you college it is school or mandatory that you serve serve the year in the for one country National Youth Service to be besent besent besent requested ested He Corp of Sports sent to the Ministry obligatory one- one to fulfill his service For one year of year played ba basketball all like hed he'd played He played natural He was a his life one day It came letter A Brigham Young was University from Hearing of skill they recruited him sight unseen To play he would at BYUs BYU's request need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language Included with the letter was an 20 1 form fonn The 20 1 an important document is IS the record of current immigration immigration immigration gration status It was the fall of 1988 didn't want to take the He did not respond After a time decided to write BYU He would explain the reasons he believed he should not have to speak English English at at least 60 reasons he said That letter letter letter let let- ter he later learned is what changed the committees mind The delay had conse conse- It was December 1988 He sent the forms to BYU He now had only until Jan 3 1989 to get the forms back to complete the visa process before the 20 1 expired That would then mean waiting another year In Nigeria once you are done with Youth Service Corp youre you're supposed to get geta a job fob said I dreaded doing that because if I even started looking for a ajob job job I I knew it would be adeath a adeath adeath death sentence for my art waited Nothing came from BYU Everyday that went by felt like I had died and gone to hell he said His hopes felt dashed January 3 1989 came and went Still nothing Then on Jan 8 a package arrived He saw it was dated Jan 3 1989 His heart sunk For all intents and purposes it was too late I He would not let that stop him been All of my life I have quite impulsive he said And on an impulse he immediately immediately immediately imme imme- told his mother he was leaving for America I told hersh rs she e probably wouldn't see me for a long time As she had always done she gave him her full support My eyes were heavy with tears as I 1 waved good-bye good too to tou u th th an d t w o o u na r an my lily mo er v y J be brothers said That was the last time he would see them for almost ten years With a feeling of urgency and a heart filled with faith left for Jos the town where his brother lived I 1 told him I needed money money from him said I knew by this time that faith precedes the miracle and one of the ways I could show God GodI I had faith was to purchase plane tickets even though my form 20 1 was expired and there was very little chance of getting a visa Faith and hope to took k him three more hours from his brothers brother's home in Jos to the US Embassy in Armed with determination he presented the consulate officer his 20 1 form He took one look and told me no nc noway noway way The next closest consulate was about niles away in Lagos 1 i 1 started thinking this was too I much nuch to handle maybe should hould turn back But then I 1 thought what if I do make itI it itI itI it I I will have stories to tell Stories would indeed be told I look back at that fateful fateful fateful fate fate- turning ful evening as a great point in my life he said faith Again brought him to the embassy in Lagos I had so many gate me things working against 20 1 was form he said My international and my expired stamp on it had a passport Usually embassies wont won't let dont don't have a in if you you stamp that's not at least six months old He gave the man at the ghis gate passport He prayed his Please God dont don't let them the stamp see Th The man flipped through The embassy the passport opened He was told gates ins ins' i in ahead Go on Go His heart raced wildly He See Artist continued on page 9 Artist cont cant from page 7 handed the documents to the next inspector It seemed to take forever then he heard the words he longed forI for I 1 dont don't see any reason we should deny a visa I couldn't believe what I heard said It is hard to explain to anyone how happy I was Up til then that was the greatest thing that ever happened to me Most Americans do not understand because they take living in this country for granted If you were to step out of the bounds of this country most country most people would do anything to come to America The day received his visa was One of the most trying yet humbling days of my life he said I realize that what happened was not because of my own power but because of the grace of God His basketball skills helped him reach his goals in art He graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree He later earned his He resides in Provo Utah with his wife Deidra and two children Greg RogIer owner of Salt Lake City's A Gallery is impressed with the works has on display Everyone has an emotional reaction to his work he said r 1 IM I'M 1 little h has visited the One boy as gallery several times with his father Each time the child sees this piece h he says pointing to a sculpture of a woman titled Serenity the little boy wraps his arms around its neck and hugs then kisses the face To see his work is to feel joy peace and calm Most of his pieces lack detail Yet their very simplicity elicits grace and beauty God has his hands in my life said It seems each of us must wres- wres i tie with God to be shaped and I molded to become that person person person per per- and obtain those I son things that will be for our best good life like each of his bronze works of art I shows gentleness beauty peace and confidence i Shaped by the hand of the i Master Masier to reveal the beauty that comes from the clay the I shaping the firing the firing the finished finished finished fin- fin I patina of the bronze A work of art indeed Each life is like that process uses to create create cre- cre ate Once it is cast in bronze you cant can't make anymore I changes You have to work first on the imperfections Sometimes set it aside for awhile and then come back to it later You work again to smooth out the imperfections imperfections said Then you have to live with what you have cast