baby oku (2021)

“Bold and unapologetic in her attire and demeanour, ‘baby oku’ encapsulates all things Afropolitan: forward-thinking, progressive, uninhibited, and self-aware, yet still rooted, albeit loosely, in the expectations, duty and responsibility that customs and traditions call for.

How a culture survives depends on its people’s capacity to learn and transmit it to succeeding generations. In post-colonial Nigeria, many older Igbo traditions and rites became obsolete as customs faded and gave way to pervasive western systems. Through my art, I would like to provide viewers with an understanding of Nigeria’s rich legacy and educate a wider audience on the symbolic practices of our forebears before it is lost entirely.”

– REWA