Nigerian Artwork in the Post Modern Era

Nigeria, located on the west coast of Africa, has one of Africa’s largest economies because of its oil production. Although Nigeria has one of Africa’s largest economies, out of the 170 million inhabitants “about 105 million people — still live in extreme poverty” (Newcomb). Nigeria has dealt with many issues over the years, yet the citizens continue to create outstanding artwork. Many Nigerian artists find inspiration from their modern and traditional culture, and Nigerian artists express their social awareness through their artwork. I really enjoy Nigerian art from the Post Modern Era because of its perspectives on Nigerian society.

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Hairstyles

In Nigeria, hairstyles are more than a fashion statement, they are a cultural tradition and a symbol of “one’s family background, social status, spirituality, tribe, and marital status” (Matshego). Throughout the decades, “hundreds of… braided styles could be discovered throughout the country, each carrying a distinct meaning. Elite families even had exclusive rights to particular styles, with mothers passing down the intricate details of their secret patterns to their daughters” (Richardson).

J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere is a photographer who is known for showcasing the art of beautiful hairstyles found in Nigeria. ‘Okhai Ojeikere “sought to preserve these traditions by creating a visual time capsule of close to 1,000 portraits of different looks — including braids, twists, plaits and buns” (Richardson). The photographs of these hairstyles do

J. D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere’s Untitled (2006)

more than capture unique hairstyles, they capture the longstanding traditions and the changes that Nigeria has been going through. ‘Okhai Ojeikere’s photograph, Untitled, was taken in 2006 in Nigeria (Artsy). I enjoy this photograph because of the composition of the woman looking away from the camera. The black and white seem to add so much depth and meaning to this photo as if the use of black and white is “capturing the elegance and exuberance of its celebrations, ceremonies, and daily life” (Artsy). The lines and patterns of the hair are absolutely amazing. For example, the partings in the hair seem to be making hexagons. Also, the three-dimensional twists add a unique detail. Overall, ‘Okhai Ojeikere is able to capture the beautiful hairstyles in Nigeria through his photography.

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Violence Against Young Females

Nigerian society has had many issues with domestic violence and child marriage. Although the Nigerian government made child marriage illegal in 2003, “17% of girls in the country are still married before the age of 15” (Clarke). Marriage is a huge threat to the girls’ health and social position. In Nigeria, “complications from pregnancy and childbirth are among the leading causes of death among adolescent girls aged 15 to 19” (United Nations Population Fund). Girls who are married have a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases as “Nigeria also has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS-related deaths in the world” (U.S. News).

Peju Alatise’s Flying Girls (2016)

Peju Alatise is an artist who is known for her sculptures and installations. “As a Nigerian… woman, Peju bears witness to the maltreatment, discrimination, and atrocities that have become commonplace in a society where very little attention is given to the development of the girl child” (Kazad).

Detail of Peju Alatise’s Flying Girls (2016)

Alatise’s installation sculpture, Flying Girls, was made in 2016 in Nigeria (Peju Alatise). This beautiful installation captures the issue of abuse towards young Nigerian girls. Flying Girls is so amazing as it has such an innocent and free appearance, yet it represents such a terrible injustice that happens to young females. The use of wings in this piece is alluding to the girls being “able to fly to that ideal place where they are well treated and have the opportunity to achieve their goals.  They are able to escape from where they are continually marginalized and subjugated” (Kazad). I admire the way that the installation is set up with the girls standing in a circle talking to one another and the birds and butterflies flying around them. It seems as if the birds and butterflies are symbolizing more than just freedom, but they are protecting the young girls as they circle around them.

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Leaders

For many years Nigeria has been trying to create a stable and successful government, yet the results have not been good. Instead, Nigeria has dealt with leaders and government officials who do not help the people. Over the decades, the government officials “have been more concerned with [the] accumulation of wealth rather than [the] development of the country” (Eniayejuni). Although Nigeria does have many valuable resources and a large population, the “leaders have succeeded in exploiting and impoverishing the masses and have caused a colossal waste of natural and human resource” (Eniayejuni).

Victor Ehikhamenor’s A King Bigger Than His Kingmakers (2017)

Victor Ehikhamenor is a writer, photographer, and visual artist. He is known for “producing abstract, symbolic and politically motivated works… [Also,] his symbols and motifs are reminiscent of his childhood village shrines [and] art drawn by women” (Gallery of African Art). Most of his artwork has a distinct pattern that he uses throughout many of his pieces. “His signature patterning is a frenetic mélange of gestural abstraction and stylized forms… [which offers] an ongoing narrative being told” (Tyburn Gallery). The ongoing narrative of the political situations in Nigeria can be seen in Ehikhamenor’s A King Bigger Than His Kingmakers which was made in 2017 in Lagos, Nigeria (Artsy). In this piece, Ehikhamenor perforated the paper to create the image. The method of paper perforation is a fascinating art form as it is sometimes hard to see all of the details in the piece because the colors do not alter very much. The message of A King Bigger Than His Kingmakers can be connected

Detail of Perforated Paper Victor Ehikhamenor

to the Nigerian government. For example, as the kingmakers are people who have “great power and influence in the choice of a ruler [or] candidate for public office” (Dictionary) it can be understood that if a king or president is bigger than his advisors, he will not listen to their advice. Ehikhamenor makes the king much larger than the king-makers. The size of the king compared to his kingmakers is depicting the amount of power and control that the king or political official has over his country. This piece is so fascinating because of its exploration of the Nigerian government through a depiction of a king and his kingmakers. Also, the perforated paper is such an interesting style!

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Children

Like many countries, Nigeria has many issues involving child abuse and malnutrition. In early 2017, it was estimated that 90,000 Nigerian children will die this year from starvation because of the conflicts in North-eastern Nigeria (Bulman). Another injustice that Nigerian children deal with is not being able to attend school. Although some efforts have been made to help young students, “Nigeria accounts for the highest number of out-of-school children worldwide with about 10.5 million children roaming the streets” (Olupohunda).

Arinze Stanley Egbengwu’s Innocence (2016)

Arinze Stanley is a “pencil artist working in the genre of Hyper-realism” (Ikeke). His sketches look so real that they look like black and white photographs. Stanley’s sketch, Innocence, was created in 2016 in Lagos, Nigeria (Harinzey). The theme of the sketch, innocence, is fascinating and fitting for the hardships that Nigerian children endure. For example, there is another pair of hands that reach around the boy to cover his eyes. This could be referring to avoiding the truth about the injustices towards Nigerian children, or a representation of someone’s efforts to try to shelter the young from the decay of innocence.

Besides the message of the sketch, I am totally amazed by the details in the piece! Stanley “estimates that a work takes anywhere from 200 to 300 hours until it is finished” (Pangburn) which is a short time considering how realistic it looks. The water appears so real and transparent. Also, the lines of the fingers and fingernails are well defined and realistic. Overall, this sketch is very emotional and stunning.

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Conclusion

Learning more about Post Modern Nigerian art has been amazing! Before writing this blog, I knew nothing about Nigerian society or art. It has been interesting to find out more about the ways that Nigerian artists use their artwork to comment on Nigerian issues. I would definitely be honored to own any of the pieces from these talented artists, yet as the pieces hold such important views on society, I would hope that they could remain in a museum or public place so that others would also be able to contemplate their messages.

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Works Cited

“A King Bigger Than His Kingmakers.” Artsy. Artsy. 2017. Web. 20 Nov. 2017. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/victor-ehikhamenor-a-king-bigger-than-his-kingmakers

Arinze Stanley. Arinze Stanley. n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2017. https://www.harinzey.com/

Bulman, May. “90,000 children are expected to die in Nigeria over the next 12 months, Unicef warns.” Independent. Independent. 25 Jan. 2017. Web. 26 Nov. 2017. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/nigerian-children-starve-to-death-2017-nigeria-africa-help-unicef-international-community-aid-a7546176.html

“Child Marriage.” United Nations Population Fund. United Nations Population Fund. 27 Oct. 2017. Web. 26 Nov. 2017. http://www.unfpa.org/child-marriage

Clarke, Joe Sandler. “Nigeria: Child brides facing death sentences a decade after child marriage prohibited.” The Guardian. The Guardian. 11 Mar. 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/mar/11/the-tragedy-of-nigerias-child-brides

Eniayejuni, Anthony, and Nusret Sinan Evcan. “Nigeria: Corruption Arising From Bad Leadership.” European Scientific Journal. European Scientific Journal. vol. 11, no. 113, 2015. Web. 25 Nov. 2017. https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/5636

“Flying Girls.” Peju Alatise. Peju Alatise. n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2017. http://www.pejualatise.com/flying-girls/

Ikeke, Nkem. “Meet 23-year-old Nigerian artist who makes unbelievable realistic pencil drawings.” Nigerian Breaking News. Nigerian Breaking News. 2017. Web. 23 Nov. 2017. https://www.naija.ng/1098305-meet-23-year-nigerian-artist-unbelievable-realistic-pencil-drawings-photos.html#1098305

Kazad. “Peju Alatise Addresses Girl Child Issues With ‘Flying Girls.'” Artcentron. Artcentron. 22 May 2017. Web. 24 Nov. 2017. http://artcentron.com/2017/05/22/peju-alatise-flying-girls-venice/

“Kingmaker.” Dictionary. Dictionary. n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2017. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/kingmaker

Matshego, Lebogang. “A History Of African Women’s Hairstyles.” Africa.com. Africa.com. n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2017. https://www.africa.com/history-african-womens-hairstyles/

Newcomb, Alyssa. “What You Need to Know About Nigeria.” ABC News. American Broadcasting Company. 7 May 2014. Web. 27 Nov. 2017. http://abcnews.go.com/International/nigeria-africas-largest-economic-power/story?id=23620945

“Nigeria: Overview.” U.S. News. U.S. News. 2016. Web. 25 Nov. 2017. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/nigeria

Olupohunda, Bayo. “Poverty, child abuse and the Nigerian child.” The Punch Newspaper. The Punch Newspaper. 26 July 2016. Web. 27 Nov. 2017. http://punchng.com/poverty-child-abuse-nigerian-child/

Pangburn, DJ. “These Aren’t Photographs. They’re Arinze Stanley’s Hyperrealist Drawings.” Creators. Creators. 28 Mar. 2017. Web. 23 Nov. 2017. https://creators.vice.com/en_au/article/z49wde/arinze-stanley-hyperrealist-nigerian-artist-black-white-drawings

Richardson, Whitney. “Hairstyles That Ascend, and Aspire, in Nigeria.” New York Times. New York Times. 2 Jan. 2015. 21 Nov. 2017. https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/02/hairstyles-that-ascend-and-aspire-in-nigeria/

“Untitled.” Artsy. Artsy. n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2017. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/jd-okhai-ojeikere-untitled-6

“Victor Ehikhamenor.” Gallery of African Art. Gallery of African Art. n.d. 21 Nov. 2017. http://www.gafraart.com/artists/54-victor-ehikhamenor/overview/

“Victor Ehikhamenor.” Tyburn Gallery. Tyburn Gallery. n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2017. http://www.tyburngallery.com/artist/victor-ehikhamenor/