Being handicapped has not stopped me from being an Artist—Wale Balogun

Being physically challenged has not hindered my Artistry—Wale Balogun

By Yemi Olakitan

·        Balogun Mufutau Adewale is a physically challenged and versatile, Nigerian artist. Born in 1972. He was educated in Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where he studied Visual Arts. He has participated in many exhibitions across the country. 

·     How did you discover your talents?

in the early days as a young man, my initial ambition was to become a Medical Doctor despite the fact that my talent, as an artist was noticeable at a very early age. I was very lucky in the sense that someone advised me to study visual arts instead of Medicine.  He said, God has given me a talent that fits my condition since i am physically challenged, if i am a Medical Doctor, how would i handle the demands of the job. it may even be very challenging to secure employment after school if i had studied Medicine.  It was God sent advice and i took it. Art is something that i have been able to practice without hindrance since i can even be self employed. 
One of whom was Dr. Davide.H.Dale  He developed his own style. Dale was highly influential in my envelopment as an artistes. I would say he contributed a lot. There are several other people who influenced and helped me in my career as an artist.

·     How did you come about your disability?

My condition started long ago when I was younger. According to my parents I was not born with any form of disability. A time came when I became ill and I had to be taken to the hospital for medical treatment. I was 3 yeas old at the time. A Nurse gave me an injection during the course of my treatment. The injection paralyzed my legs. By the time, my parents noticed the problem; it was too late because the Doctor scolds only save one of my legs. The other one could come back to normal. Only one was filly healed.

From the beginning, I knew that there were arts in me. I could draw. I drew my mother at the age of four. I used to draw for fun because I liked it a lot. I used to use my sisters’ lipsticks to paint whatever I drew. Those were my watercolors. It was natural for me to study Art.

·     Why do you choose to work with beads?

People love new things; new creativity and I want my work to stand out. I don’t want to do what everybody is doing. I choose to use beads in my painting because of its durability. If it gets dirty, you ca n cleans it easily. I want to inspire other artistes and make an impact in other peoples’ lives.  If for example, you want to encourage or advice and handicapped person it may not sink well but if you are in the same condition with him as I am and he sees that you are doing what he feels he cannot do, he will listen.  You see, a man may have a bad leg or a bad hand but the worst scenario is to have a bad head, which is terrible. You see in this life, there different types of handicapped and everyone has one or the other. You can be financially handicapped. You can be mentally handicapped. One can be spiritually handicapped. even the President Jonathan is facing its own handicap from Boko Haram.  I however defined my handicapped as handy and Cap.

The evidence that you are living is because of challenges. There are people who cannot feel hunger or pain because they are dead but you are alive. There is nobody without challenges, it may differ.  I have always found very creative ways to live normally and to do my work. My wife, came home, one day and discovered that I have hung al my art works on the wall and she was surprised tat I could do it myself.  She asked who helped me? Actually, I just sat down and think of the various ways by which I should hag the art works and I was able to do it.

·     How were you able to cope with the situation?

There are different types of handicapped people. There are those who were born with it and it affected their minds there those who were not born with it and the mind is not affected. There are those who are not born with it but their mind is still affected. I was not born with my disability nor am I affected mentally or physiologically. When I was younger my parents wanted to send me to school for the handicapped. I refused because my mind is not affected by my disability. There are many things that able-bodied people cannot do that I can do. By the grace of          God, It has not stopped anything-good thing in my life.  Sometimes, it could eve n be a plus, for example, I am public speaker, if stand before people to talk, before I say anything, my appearance alone will challenge them. There was a time, I was going somewhere on the road and someone approached me to give me alms. I have to educate him that I was not a beggar.

I am always working with my hands so I am always improving.  There was a time I went to computer school in order to learn how it could help my work.

When I was younger I never saw my self as handicapped. I played around like any normal kids and I had fun just like them. I crawled for the first six years of my life while playing with my younger ones. Why my younger brother was six, he enrolled in a Primary school and I was eight, at the time so I asked them what about me?  They wanted to send me to a school for the handicapped but I refused. I insisted that I had a normal life to live so I needed to attend a normal school just like any regular kid.

One day, someone organized a party in our streets and everyone was going so I said to myself that why should I be crawling when everyone is walking so I went to the backyard and got myself a burnt wood from the traditional stove (adogon) I used that as crutches stick and helped myself to the party.  When my parents saw that attempt, they decided to get me crutches.  The major challenge is that people never stop treating you as second class and some even go out of their way to put you down.

There are disable people who are not disturbed by their situation and other people try to refer them to it. If you have physical disability and you do not have mental disability, you are fine and you are better off because you can achieve whatever you set you mind to achieve if you work hard enough and with faith in God.

·     What are your words of advice to those in similar situation?

My advice is this: Challenges are an evidence to prove that you have a great future and you are going somewhere great. There is no gain without pain. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.  My dream in life is to be ahead of the so-called able bodied. I am grateful to God. He has been there for me.

·     You are happily married, you have a family and a thriving career

To the Glory of God, even my four-year-old kid adjusts to the situation. He will even go and bring my crutches for me. God has not allowed it to be a problm that we cannot surmount.