Kaltume B. Gana, fsna
Environmental Arts, Engagement and Communication
The artist Kaltume Gana, lives in kano and hails from Yobe State in North-eastern Nigeria. She holds both Bachelor and Masters degrees in Fine Arts, Mosaic, Murals & Painting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in Nigeria. She has also done extensive studies in Islamic arts from Mimar Sinan University in Istanbul, Turkey. Kaltume is presently the Curator of the Kano office of the National Gallery of Art, Nigeria.
Kaltume’s work tries to document, sensitize and relate to the experiences of the society and culture with lived and natural environment in which she lives and has been a responsible communicator in the projection of her heritage and environment through her works of art. Says kaltume: “ it is difficult for me to speak about my paintings because the act of putting together words only explains and cannot make real the experience”. Kaltume recycles waste in wealth of arts where she portrays beauty and elegance of nature and how humans can revitalize the planet and reduce burdens on the climate. She cherishes art for saving and salvaging displaced people and the poor.
Awards
-First Prize “International Year of the Child”, Art Competition, Lagos, Nigeria. 1980.
-Best Fine Art Student, Queen’s College, Lagos, Nigeria, 1981.
-Award of Honor for Cultural Development, Kano, Nigeria 1997 “Nigerian Artists”: A Who’s Who & Bibliography, Smithsonian Institute, USA.
-"Fellow", Society of Nigerian Artists (Fsna) 2017.
Commissions and assignments handled (selected)
-Mosaics, Murals And Paintings For The Nigeria High Commission, Islamabad, Pakistan.
-Painting of “ Queen Amina”, For Zumunta Association, Washington DC, USA.
-Embellishments of Calligraphy & Arabesque Art for Various Mosques, Nigeria.
-Part Of National Team To The 1st Islamic Artisan-At-Work Festival, Islamabad, Pakistan.
-Part Of 20 Women Business Meeting To The Greater Houston Partnership, Houston, USA.
-Illustrations Of Textual Materials For Nomadic Schools In Nigeria.
-Donated “Fulani Maidens”, Painting Image to UNICEF, Used As Greeting Cards.
Exhibitions (selected solo)
British Council, Kano, Nigeria, 1987
Howard University, Washington Dc, USA, 1998
The United Nations Office, (Vienna International Centre), Vienna, Austria, 2001 .
Exhibitions (selected group)
*Islam In Africa Exhibition, Abuja, Nigeria, 1989
* Nigeria At A Glance, Islamabad, Pakistan, 1997
*200 Years Of Shehu Usman Danfodio, Kano, Nigeria, 2004
*The British Museum, London, Great Britain, 2005 *Islamic Arts And Calligraphy Exh., Abuja, Nigeria, 2007
*Kanem Bornu Millenium & Yerwa Centinary Exhibition, Maiduguri, Nigeria, 2007
*7th And 8th Biennale De L’art, Dakar, Senegal, 2006/2008 *Kano Contemporary Arts Masterpieces, Goethe Institut, Kano, Nigeria, 2009
*Nigeria At 50 Exhibition, Abuja, Nigeria, 2010
*Nivatour: Korea/Nigeria- A Friendship Over Decades, Seoul, South Korea, 2013
Membership
-Member, Board of Trustee, Institute of Islamic Calligraphy, and Design Kano
-Assistant General Secretary (National) Society of Nigerian Artists, 1990
-launched society of Nigerian artists, kano state chapter in 1991
-Kano Heritage Society
-Female Artists Association of Nigeria
-Network of Women Innovators (Nokwi) Since 2015.
2017 0NWARDS
-Won Design for Kano Golden Jubilee Monument. Presently constructed at the Kano Government House roundabout.
-INITIATOR & Trustee, HERWA HEART OF ART INITIATIVE, an NGO meant to offer assistance & open up a means if livelihood, self relience employment through diverse artistic & cultural environmental programs such Waste to skills acquisition Wealth programmes meant to heal trauma, hardship, regain confidence, environmental protection, dignity and self-worth.