NATIVE Exclusive: Victor Ekpuk Is Inspiring A Generation of Multi-Visual Artists
on his work and recent participation at Design Week Lagos
Last Friday, the annual Design Week Lagos played host to Victor Ekpuk. The renowned multi-visual artist led a very interactive and immersive session, intimating the audience on his culture-inspired practices. Walking into the hall, one’s attention was quickly drawn to the pieces of Ekpuk displayed on the projector’s screen, epic and colourful, created with intricate Nsibidi expressions which were fashioned into the coherent theme, depending on how intimately one connects with its language.
View this post on Instagram
In a career that spans three decades, Victor Ekpuk has gone from an alumni of Fine Art at the Obafemi Awolowo University into a global art figure. He has held several exhibitions—New York, Paris, Cuba, Senegal, etc.—and has been commissioned to create monumental pieces for prestigious organisations like The World Bank, the Memphis Brooks Museum, Arab Bank Corporation and many others. Ekpuk’s signature technique has also adorned re-issued copies of Chinua Achebe’s great works of fiction, including ‘Things Fall Apart’ and ‘Arrow of God’.
In the aftermath of 2020’s global lockdowns, Victor Ekpuk expanded his mediums of expression, using digital art and VR presentations to reimagine his works. That was demonstrative of Ekpuk’s vision to link the past and the future—even though his descendant Ekpo society of Akwa-Ibom are custodians of the Nsibidi, his willingness to explore new terrain ensures that representations of the culture would always be kept alive, even far away from its origin in southern Nigeria.
Following his presentation at Design Week Lagos, The NATIVE engaged Victor Ekpuk in an exclusive interview. His words which follow below have been edited for clarity.
NATIVE: What were the roots for you in what you do presently?
VICTOR Ekpuk: I’ve always been an artist even before I could read and write. I’ve always known how to represent things around me; while my mates were playing football, I was busy drawing on the sand outside of my house. It was the only thing I was really good at, so it wasn’t no surprise to anybody that I’ll go to college to study Fine Art. My mother encouraged me to pursue it, when she saw that I had the talent. When I was in Primary 2, I won a division wide competition for Art.
NATIVE: How did you start off professionally?
That should be when I left the University of Ife in 1989 or something like that. I started working at the Daily Times as a cartoonist and illustrator. If you go back to the newspaper’s archives, you will see my work. I believe that I am an artist, I can do all things. So I don’t set those limits for myself about what this is and what is that—I can draw and I can interpret others. That was another facet of my imagination which I engaged at the time, it was something that I enjoyed doing, it was my opportunity to talk back at the government of Nigeria and I did that everyday.
NATIVE: When did you have a big break as an artist?
While I was working at the Daily Times, I also had a studio in my house. So I was painting; I’ll go to work at the Daily Times, I’d come back home and paint. I was showing in galleries in Lagos, and I was doing international exhibitions while that was going on. I guess the first time the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was in 1998 or thereabout.
NATIVE: What was the nineties art scene like?
The art scene in the nineties was vibrant, but mostly expatriates were buying our works. But I’m happy to see now that Nigerians are also consuming their own culture and buying works from Nigerian artists. ‘Cos we were mostly selling to only oyibo expatriates; there weren’t a few galleries, but now the whole place is exploding with so much culture. We have Design Week, we have Fashion Week, we have ArtX. Lagos is becoming a really important centre and it’s encouraging a lot of young artists and designers to come out and have their work seen, which is really great.
NATIVE: Your works are sometimes rooted in Afro-spiritual symbolism. What are your origins in this field and how do you interpret its vision?
From my culture—I investigate my own culture. I’m interested in the history and culture of my people. So I found [Nsibidi] to be a form that really informs my work in a way that it attracts ideas. That was a platform from which my own ideas kicked off.
I see the yearning for people to go back to their cultural roots and be proud of it because for a long time, Westerners have always come and taken it. So it’s a good thing we’re focusing now, which was the point of my workshop today, to encourage young artists and young designers to look within what they have and be inspired by it.
NATIVE: What do you consider the importance of Design Week in bringing art communities together, especially having figures like yourself who connect Nigerian art with happenings in the diaspora?
I think it’s very important, because it is a program for which its time has come. In terms of encouraging young artists or bringing the awareness that there is culture we’re proud of, and bringing the awareness of using designers that are available to encourage them to create and people would begin to consume what is created here. Cos I’m seeing a lot of these designers that are showcasing here have their factories here in Nigeria but some Nigerians don’t know that, they think they always have to import from Turkey.
I was reviewing some of the questions that were coming in, that there’s a difference between art and design. There’s a disconnect between that and what is really happening. For a long time we didn’t see ourselves as creators. But when you begin to let people know that, let them see the obvious that is right in front of them. That’s what we’re talking about. When you look at a mask, what do you see? Do you see design? Do you see an artist who was very creative to create this beautiful piece, or do you see something else?
NATIVE: What is your opinion of the young undergraduates that were here today? What do you think they need to advance further in their creative careers?
I think they need to attend more conferences and things like these, to be inspired. They need to read, pick up more on their reading actually because there’s a lot that is floating on the internet, so much knowledge, depends on what you’re looking and what you’re reading. The internet has liberated a lot of things, you don’t necessarily need to have [physical] books anymore. Okay, so, traditional designs or you want to see Yoruba stools, you’ll see so much. The young woman was asking me, ‘I’ve never seen Nsibidi’. Look at the internet. They need to have dialogues like this, with the other professionals who are doing things. I’m happy that I was here today to at least impart my own knowledge and leave the people do what they’ll like to do with it.
View this post on Instagram
Featured image credits/NATIVE
NATIVE PREMIERE: Rigo Kamp Runs Ahead Of The Pack With The Visuals For “Marathon”
Rigo Kamp’s Marathon video is an intimate Afro-juju revival that pays homage to Sir Shina Peters and stamps...
Last Friday, Rigo Kamp, a NATIVE uNder alum and one of the architects of an equal parts nostalgic and refreshing sound released his self-titled debut EP, delivering a propulsive fusion of Alte, R&B, Funk, and Soul-infused rhythms.
Featuring previously released singles “Morning Sun” and “Summer”, the six-track eponymous EP executively produced by Odunsi The Engine sees Rigo lean heavily into his element as a sonic alchemist, jumping from silky falsettos to gritty grooves without losing an ounce of cohesion, and ultimately stamping the Abuja-born, Lagos-based singer-songwriter as a mad scientist of sound.
Just last November, Apple Music named Rigo Kamp as its Up Next artist, an acknowledgment that underscored his potential and confirmed what the tastemakers and underground scene already knew. Weeks later, he delivered an exhilarating live set for Spotify Fresh Finds in Lagos, proving he’s just as compelling live as he is in the studio.
On “Marathon”, the refreshing opener to the Rigo Kamp EP, Rigo borrows the bounce and swagger of Afro-Juju legend, Sir Shina Peters’ golden-era, fusing nostalgia with re-imagination to birth a vintage performance that feels like a private party for two, where it’s just Rigo, and you.
Get an exclusive first look at the video for Marathon here:
Listen to the Rigo Kamp EP:
Keep reading...
Togo YEYE & VLISCO’s new collaboration is a celebration of Lomé’s thriving creative scene
Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by
Togo YEYE, a creative duo formed by Lomé-based creative director Malaika Nabillatou and London-based photographer Delali Ayivi, is a conceptual publication that was created to empower and champion Togo’s young fashion creatives. Since its inception in 2021, Togo YEYE has released several personal projects and has also partnered with a number of brands to further its hugely imaginative aesthetic mandate. For their latest collaboration, Togo YEYE teamed up with textile printing company VLISCO to present Blossoming Beauty. Tagged as a love letter to Togo’s creative community, the campaign captures Lomé’s scenic beauty alongside VLISCO’s vibrant prints with the aim of connecting the feminine grace of nature with identity and artistry.
What does Togo YEYE mean?
Malaika Nabilatou: My name is Malaika Nabilatou, I’m the creative director of Togo YEYE. I’m Togolese and I was born and grew up in Lomé. I see myself as a West African creative director and I’m working to be the best in a few years. Togo YEYE means new Togo in Ewe, one of the most popular languages spoken in the South of Togo.
What inspired you to create Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: We started this project, my friend Delali and I, 5 years ago. We just wanted to show that Togolese youth are also creative. Togo YEYE is a community we are building for us by us. It wasn’t just a project for Delali and I. It’s become something for the creative scene of Lomé. Lomé is like our studio.
What role does Togolese culture play in your creative process?
Maryline Bolognima: For me, Togolese culture comes first. For example, in the South, there are the people of Anero. If you come, you can go to Anero. In the North, there are the Evals, so if you come to Togo, you’ll learn a lot.
What’s the most exciting part of working as a team on projects like this?
Malaika Nabilatou: I need to tell the truth, we dreamt about this campaign before [it happened]. When VLISCO contacted us, we were like wow. I can’t really explain how thankful we are to VLISCO for trusting us. Because it’s a risk that they took by trusting us, making that campaign here with our team and honestly we are going to keep it in our hearts for the rest of our lives.
Claudia Sodogbe: For me, it is the first big contract of my life that I had with Togo YEYE. I still remember, on the last day of the shoot, I was feeling nostalgic about separating from the teams and the others. It went well in any case, and I’m very grateful to have been on this project.
What has been your proudest moment as part of Togo YEYE?
Malaika Nabilatou: I think the proudest moment I had with this campaign was when I saw the result first on the website. When I saw the story, I was like “wow, we finally made it.”
Keep reading...
Inside The Parties Breathing New Life Into Lagos’ Nightlife Scene
No matter who you, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or...
The crowd marches along on the dancefloor, vibrating to a pulse that is both familiar and electrifying. It takes a second to identify Grammy nominee, Rema’s “Ozeba,” pouring out of the speakers and whipping the crowd into a frenzy as it takes on new life as a turbulent EDM track. The crowd growls and screams in approval of the DJ’s remix, yet another banger in a night filled with back-to-back hits. Hands in the air, sweat dripping from glistening bodies, smoke floating around the dancefloor and young people gyrating with reckless abandon, Element House provides the people with the release they deserve and they reward it with an undying loyalty to its rhythm and raves as they keep coming back.
Party culture has taken on new dimensions in Nigeria over the last two decades as a reaction to economic, social and cultural progressions. This evolution of the way we party is significant considering that Nigeria is a society that lays heavy emphasis on certain accepted standards of moral behavior, rooted in culture and tradition. But that has never once stopped a good time from happening. Millennials and older gen-z will remember the street parties and carnivals of old, usually held at the end of summer holidays or in December, where music by TuFace, Mo’Hits, Akon, Shakira, Lady Gaga and 50 Cent were the staple, among others. There were certain songs automatically expected from any DJ worth his salt otherwise it was not too far-fetched to see a DJ, with his equipment on his head, fleeing for his safety while being chased by an irate mob of partygoers.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. These carnivals and street parties might have been phased out but the idea remains the same while the power and influence of communities powering party culture in Lagos and Nigeria at large has only gotten stronger, especially with the advent of social media. The Block Party series–started in Lagos, Nigeria as the Mainland Block Party–has become the go-to event to celebrate youth culture and foster connections that cut across multiple African cities and walks of life. Today, with curated events in Ibadan, Abuja, Lagos, Accra and others, a community of partygoers is assured maximum enjoyment whenever the Block Party organisers announce an event in their city of the month. The people will always return to where their tastes are catered to, bringing along friends, family and newbies eager to bask in the atmosphere of loud music and togetherness.
In 2012, Warner Bros. Pictures released Project X–a film that follows three friends and high-school students who attempt to gain popularity by throwing a party which ends up escalating out of their control and reaching epic proportions. This idea propagated by Hollywood would go on to influence several house parties thrown in Lagos during the mid to late 2010s. The idea that with the right DJ/music playing at the right venue and with just the right crowd, then immortality was possible–a party so grand that it would be spoken about in glowing terms for years to come until it became lore. Today, house parties are more intimate and controlled, the degrees of separation between attendees reduced by a mutual friend or WhatsApp group they all have in common. From game nights to karaoke sessions to kinky sex parties, whether it’s at Balloons & Cups, a Vogue Boys pool party, or a get-together by the ‘Lagos on a Budget’ IG Community, the role house parties play in the ever evolving party culture is not insignificant, creating a pipeline that feeds into the much larger raves which weekends in Lagos are becoming synonymous with.
Whether it’s Element House today, Mainland House tomorrow, Group Therapy next weekend, WIRED or a host of other house and EDM inspired movements, partygoers are spoiled for choice when it comes to where to indulge their fundamental music tastes in a secure and controlled environment. Nothing is off the menu and a good time is the only badge of honor worth collecting. The increasing popularity of the rave movement in recent years is testament to the fact that it works for both organizers and attendees. The Covid-19 lockdowns changed the way Nigerians party; after months of being isolated from their communities and having to socialize in more intimate and private spaces, it’s no surprise that raves, with their underground nature, became the outlet of choice for several young people as soon as the world opened back up. According to Tonia, a medical doctor and frequent raver living in Lagos, her first few times at parties following the end of the lockdowns were not fun. “I was partying with caution, wearing face masks constantly and carrying hand sanitizer around. It became a much better experience subsequently when everything relaxed and soon enough, I was back enjoying the time of my life at Lagos parties.”
Unburdened from the heavy spending, bottle-popping culture that characterizes Lagos nightlife and cloaked in the embrace of judgment-free anonymity and numbers, raves have become a safe haven for a community of partygoers determined to turn up in the midst of the sheer craziness of living in this day and age. For Michael-Peace, a brand & creative assistant and frequent raver, the appeal goes beyond a need to unwind and the feelings of peace he experiences at raves. “Whether I’m listening to the DJ or just watching the crowd move to the music, it’s a very mindful experience for me,” he says.“I’m grateful to just be there and appreciative of how we can all be one community or family for that period of time.”
The appeal of the rave scene is its inclusivity and it’s a common theme for the new wave of parties exploding in Lagos and environs. No matter who you are or what you stand for, these parties provide a safe space to let loose without fear of objectification or discrimination resulting from socio-economic and political differences, misogyny and other less elegant occurrences which are part of mainstream Nigerian nightlife. This is important to Tonia who, on multiple occasions, has been prevented by bouncers from entering clubs without a male companion. “I’ll always prefer raves, they are much freer and nobody is performing here. There’s no need to show off the number of bottles you bought like there is in a club. Everyone just wants to turn the fuck up and have the time of their lives.”
For five or six hours, the disco lights, turbulent music and fellow ravers provide solace from the outside world. “Dancing the night away” is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate from the gods of the rave. It is almost impossible to emerge after such an experience and not want to do it again. The music beckons all and sundry to come out, purge yourself of all inhibitions on the dancefloor, then return home and spread the gospel of the electronic music scene to all who might listen. In Michael-Peace’s own words: “There are people I’ve put onto raves and who loved the experience and constantly thank me for introducing them to it. Once you get hooked on it, you’ll never want to let go.”
Party culture in Nigeria continues to evolve as the new wave of parties mark their time and place in history. But the street parties and carnivals of yesteryears are not to be forgotten. The power of community continues to connect the old wave with the new wave, ensuring that actual people remain the focal point of these events, and party goers can enjoy nightlife experiences uniquely tailored to their ever changing wants and needs.
Keep reading...
