The works posted in my last post are some of my old works around 2008, then I was interested in painting and recycling other materials into my work. like in this work, offcuts from the tailors shop was revalued by being used for a collage. lately, have been more concern about textiles, fabrics, fashion and its histories mostly as it concerns Nigeria.
this is led me into my recent works which include installations using fabrics etc.
December last year, ten artist including me were invited to a sort studio for two weeks at the centre for contemporary arts (CCA). We were  asked to developed a work on the theme 'green summary', The green summary project was to celebrate CCA third anniversary and Nigeria's 50th anniversary as well. Before this time, I was already working on a project that looked into the influx of second hand clothes import in Nigeria and its implication on the textile and fashion industries in Nigeria, so i decided to explore more on this this, I got reading about the history of Nigerian textile industry. It was interesting to realize how much the textile industries dwindled between 1960 to present date.
For this project, I created a work titled lost and not found.

Lost and Not Found

“Because we were under the British rule, we always felt that the English culture was better. That was what we were brought up to believe.” 

Mrs. Sade Thomas-Fahm,

Lost and not Found
Mixed media

Fabrics , 2010
Variable Dimension

 Since the sixties the textile industry has dwindled. Production has shrunk from about 100 textile companies that were once functioning to no more than five. As the first woman to own a boutique in Nigeria, Mrs Thomas-Fahm, who had just returned to Nigeria at that time after her studies abroad, had a hard time trying to convince Nigerians to wear dresses made with local fabrics. Even in independence colonial thinking would come to impact a once thriving industry.

 Against this backdrop, I am therefore convinced that there exist some consequences on the perception of one’s identity when the language of the fabrics one wears is changed fundamentally. Hence, this works seek to look into the implication of the influx of second-hand clothing on both the textile and fashion industry in Nigeria at a time when the textile ban has been lifted.

Lost and not found (detail)

As part of this project, I also had to collaborate with a performance artist, Jellili Atiku, who wore and performed with these transformed clothes. The idea was to question the wear ability of handed down garment.

Who is Wearing my Clothes?
Life performance and installation,  2010
variable Dimension

The project ended with an exhibition which  featured the works of Ndidi Dike, Emeka Ogboh, Jude Anogwih, Richardson Oviebo, Taiye Idahor, Uchay Chima Joel, Victoria Udondian, Karo Akpofiere and Jelili Atiku.