African research

Travels in West Africa by Mary Kingsley

2010-06-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

This book was given to me to read by a neighbour of mine who obviously sees some links between me and Mary (sister to writer Charles Kingsley) in terms of my travels to Nigeria, and perhaps previously to Kenya. I may be a bit feisty at times, but l hope this is where the similarity ends!

The times when this was written reflects the Colonial era and so there is a lot to disagree with and she was obviously from quite a wealthy background. However there are some quaint stories in it which are fascinating and are somewhat reminiscent of my experiences in Africa which l am finding very amusing eg. the papaya story and how good for the digestion it is, etc. It is also interesting to read from a woman's point of view and has a lot of ethnographic information which may be useful/interesting.....so l will read on.....

Richard Long

2010-06-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

During Open Studios at Spike Island (Bristol) Richard Long came into my studio to look at my work, I of course was fumbling around with reading matter on my desk at the time and did not notice him. Anyway cutting a long story short (forgive the pun) we engaged in brief conversation about the work and he had thought the rocks l had cast were made out of chalk and he said he like them.....great! They are 'Herculite 2' (plaster) for the record!!

These are piled up on the floor in a shape that resembles a grave and is just one element of the installation l am making called 'Matter of Interpretation', based on my experiences in Nigeria recently.

Letter from Professor John Picton

2010-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

This post is made in reference to the previously mentioned article 'Cloth and the Corpse in Ebira' by John, and the subsequent questions l posed about the rocks he had seen in this article, as l am currently casting rocks for an installation based my own Nigerian experiences. I was interested in what he had to say concerning the function of these particular rocks, and whether he had any images of them.

I also asked him to comment on a Radio 4 programme 'Crossing Continents' - 'Uganda: Battling the Witch-doctors' (7.1.2010) with reference to human sacrifice, which l came across in my own research in Nigeria.

Dear Kate,
As to the pile of stones, yes I do have photos on one of these (I also saw one other). It is a circle of smaller stones in a rock shelter (in the other case it was at the foot of a particular tree) with a larger flat stone placed on top. To listen to the eku in the earth those responsible lifted the flat stone off and leaned over what is presumed to be a hole dug down into the earth at that point and surrounded by the smaller stones; and then they knelt over it to listen ...

On the question of child sacrifice, I did listen to the programme about Uganda, and noted one example cited from Nigeria. It is impossible to say these things did not happen, or do not continue to do so. The mythic foundation of Oshogbo, that famous Nigerian city that you may have heard of, includes the sacrifice of a baby buried in the ground where the city was to be founded. In modern times, situations of moral and social breakdown are known to induce the kind of paranoia that leads to human sacrifice; and the possibility was always there. There were certain funerary rites in Dogon (that paragon of "traditional" culture) which were said to demand human sacrifice. In Ife, when Frank Willett saw sheep gagged prior to sacrifice he was told that that was how they gagged human victims prior to sacrifice, something you can see in the imagery of Ife in the current show at the BM. This was to stop the victim cursing his executor. There's famous print showing a group of British naval personnel at the Asante court in the early 19th century, where a sacrificial victim is paraded before being killed with a knife pushed through from one cheek to the other again to prevent him cursing his killers. In the Uganda cases, while the confessions could be the confessions of fantasy, they could equally be true. There is no way of knowing. In the Nigerian case in that programme, it was the description of a Bollywood film in which a live baby was crunched up by a pestle and mortar; and I presumed that no matter how horrific the imagery, that it was cinematic trickery. Whether or not it was that, it was evil; and the sacrifice of a real baby was even more evil. You may remember the case of a boy's torso being found in the Thames, and there was a police hunt for the killer on the assumption that it was a human sacrifice; which it might have been , but this would not be the only explanation. Suppose someone had come into this country illegally with a child, and the child died (ie of natural causes) there would be a need to dispose of the corpse without being found out. Not good may be, but not necessarily the evil of sacrifice. The trouble is too that we forget what that human sacrifice was not a peculiarly African thing. The Bible has quite a lot to say about Moloch, a middle eastern deity that demanded the burned offerings of children, and we know archaeologically that in pre-Christian Carthage, babies were offered to be burned at the shrines of Phoenician deities. In India, the god Kali demanded human sacrifice. Even in Britain and Gaul it seems probable that the Druids sacrificed humans, though almost everything written about Druids apart from the fact that they existed is entire fantasy. It is altogether a pretty sorry story; but at least one can say of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) that they stood out against human sacrifice; which is in no way to suggest that European history is free of such evil nastiness. Human history is such that we all have blood on our hands.

Night Time in Ebira culture

2010-03-14T04:14:00.000-07:00

In Professor Picton's article 'Cloth and the Corpse in Ebira', he records similar attributes that l presented in my film 'Night'based on my research in Owerri, S.E Nigeria recently - see website www.kate-parsons.co.uk

"black, a term that includes the color of indigo dye, is a color with varied associations: the prestige of owning an indigo-dyed gown; the disgusting sight of soot on the face of the smith in this smithy; the dangers of the night as a time of metaphysical activity, including masquerade and witchcraft. "Night" was indeed sometimes used as a euphemism for witchcraft, and sometimes as a metaphor of death; and night is black'.

The other extract from this article reminded me of the function of the Giriama Commemorative Grave Posts l investigated in East Africa but here it is the cloth that acts as the link between the two worlds of the living and the dead, although in both cases the ancestors were very much 'alive'.

"The word eku clearly and literally determined the identitiy of masquerade with the other world. Yet it was the use of itokueta that determined the identity between what had once been a person living in this world and the manifestation of that other domain of existence in masked performance. Dressing in itokueta was the manner in which one entered eku and revisited this world as eku. It was this particular form of textile, whether directly as artifact or indirectly as an idea about an artifact subsisting within an innovative tradition of practice, that manifested and enacted the continuity between living and dead, between ehe and eku."

*Published in Textile Vol 7, Issue 3 pp.296-313

Films Finished!

2009-10-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

I have now finished the films l wanted to edit for the show in Lagos in March.

The first series of films consist of three looped pieces entitled 'UN-Reality' which plays with ideas of the unexpected and unfamiliar to introduce the viewer to unusual customs such as the little girl lying down on the floor which is a very common way of relaxing in Nigeria. To me she looks as if she is dreaming which takes reality into unreality and then perhaps into the realms of fantasy.
The next loop is of a glasses case swinging around a glass table which again is uncanny and which my hosts found very disturbing and began to think l had powers l had not got!!! - it was of course the ceiling fan but only when it was turned up full blast!!!

The third loop was taken at night in the big house in Owerri which was a bit creepy at night l must admit. This is of an open window taken at night with all the strange noises of the night coming into the space - again being black and white with elements of shadows this time, which reminded me of the Film Noire genre and the horror films we are used to seeing picking up on our own symbolism.

The other two films entitled 'Day' and the other 'Night' were taken in one of the big rooms in the house in Owerri, one at night and one during the day which l called the ancestor rooms in my mind, as they had these huge chairs which made a real presence (and yet absence) within the room and these were all placed in a circle. The daytime film gives an air of calm and recollection, whilst the night-time version brings in all the essence of ritual associated with the Mbari ritual of sacrifice but also an element of contemporary fears such as the police blocks l experienced. Night and Day were very important in the Mbari practices. Within our own culture Epstein uses this theme in his underground sculptures and Michangelo with his Dawn and Dusk, although different in concept. Again the binary oppositions are evident in this work of mine as they have been in my art work to date.

Preview Africa Week

2009-10-03T05:01:00.000-07:00

Attended the Africa Week celebrations at Spike and homed in on a man that l recognised as a Chief from Igboland - what a coincidence! He was wearing the maroon coloured felt hat with the little sprig sticking up on top that l have seen Innocent Nwoga wearing, so l was fascinated to find out more. He is Professor Kenneth Iwugo and he is the director of the postgraduate CPD programme in Water and Environment Management based at Bristol University - as we were talking l found myself moving backwards half way around the room!!! I think personal space must be a UK thing!!! He was very interesting and we agreed to meet again at some point at a peace meeting which is part of the UNESCO initiative. I had been asked by Dr Celestine Chibundu whether l could find someone to help him provide a bore hole for the community around him in Owerri....so maybe this meeting could be helpful.

Innocent Nwoga from Owerri

2009-10-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday 6th.September l met up with Innocent who was paying a flying visit to London and then going on to the USA to meet up with his family. We spent the day by having breakfast at the Electric Brassiere in Notting Hill Gate and then moving on to the National Portrait Gallery as he said he wanted to see some more traditional art. We saw the BP Portrait award winners and a lot of the other entries - a lot of photorealism! My favourite was a back view of someone's granny in her underwear which to me had a resonnance of Rembrandt in this analysis of aging - a gem! We then went upstairs to the Tutor rooms which again l rather like as there is something very real, and yet not real, about these portraits in terms of time and actuality.

Then we met up with my daughter who took us to a very old established pub which is used by opera goers before and after they go to a performance, Sarastro restaurant, 126 Drury Lane, Theatreland, London WC2B 5SU. To be thoroughly recommended as it has such character and is in the heart of the old London city.

All together a wonderful day and re-establishing links with Owerri.

Possible mini project

2009-08-04T08:07:00.000-07:00

Snowhill Manor, Gloucestershire - National Trust

I went to visit this place on Sunday as it promised to be fine weather and l wanted to see this collection of artefacts gathered together by Mr Wade who lived their c.1900s. He was a bit of an eccentric and all his collection of objects, which came from all over the world, were housed in the house whilst he spent most of his time living in the priest's house opposite! Above his bed he hung a stuffed bat which the NT staff there fondly call Ruby! It is alleged that writers, actors and artists met there for fancy dress parties in the Great Hall or Dragon room (because of the big fireplace). All the wealth came from a sugar plantation in the West Indies, St Kitts, which only his wife visited on a regular basis to manage the estate.

It a bit like visiting someones attic, the objects although quite interesting seemed rather a "hotch potch" as l overheard someone saying, and the only African mask which was a bronze tourist replica of a Yoruba leopard motif, was in amongst delicate jewelry of mixed origin.

However as l was wondering around the garden l noticed a little house with a set of stairs leading up to it reminiscent of Charles Simmonds work, which held my attention and reinforced my continuing interest in architecture, walls and floors. This l thought might have potential for something.

A Matter of Interpretation

2009-08-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Will need to photograph the rocks again when we get some sunshine this summer!

It is important to me to use natural light in all my work to bring out the form and depth, but it can often add a natural sense of drama and contrast too which l like. It reminds me of the light in the Kenyan landscape which was often theatrical, especially when there was rain coming over the plains.

The previous images and text, as well as showing the process of casting the rocks, explain my intentions and ideas. I need to make the plinths for the work next, which l envisage being white MDF bases with a perspex box dropped over the top of them, flush with the base below.

East African Rock moulds

2009-08-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about the natural environment in Africa, in Kenya to be precise, and how it compared with my first experiences of Abuja, and Lagos and even the more rural areas of Owerri and surrounding area. I still feel that the beauty of the Kenyan landscape surpasses so much l have seen in Nigeria so far.

With this in mind, l decided to make casts of the Kenyan rocks l brought back. I selected these for their originality, colour, texture, shape and most of all the meaning and memory these rocks embody for me. I collected these from the outreaches of different parts of Kenya when l went out walking with the Mountain Club of Kenya. This was a time l very much treasure as it was a great way to see and experience the culture and the landscape first hand, and it was affordable to do. Rocks themselves symbolise an accumulation and consolidation of time and history, which also appeals to me.

My thoughts about Nigeria was that this natural beauty was not valued as much there and the scramble for material wealth and status was all too important, and yet in spite of Nigeria's indigenous wealth with oil and mineral reserves, including gold, people seemed to be impoverished on both levels. Corruption was rife and has lead to a rather volatile society, so it seemed from the outside.

This lead to the idea of casting these rocks making replicas, or fakes, which were then gold leafed showing the contrast between the natural and man-made, but also questioning the value of each type of rock, the gold fake and the authentic natural rocks, the rich and poor.

I want to present them together next to each other in gallery cases, thus giving them status and a presence, in order for the audience to question in their own minds the value and worth of things in their own lives.

Corruption! What's new and different!

2009-07-21T04:45:00.000-07:00

Email from Amara via Bisi Silva (Nigerian Artist and Curator at Contemporary Centre for Art, Lagos) and written by Qudus Onikeku, who reflects on the current situation in Nigeria. The BBC magazine "Africa" also had an article recently on Nigeria being close to a failed state! I also remember the term used jokingly for the Kenyan light company which was "Power and Darkness", but in comparison it was nothing like I experienced in Nigeria!

"In the past few years, I no longer consider myself as a Nigerian living in Nigeria, nor living in the diaspora, and at the same time, I am a Nigerian living in both Nigeria and in the diaspora. During my subsequent visit and mind travel to Nigeria, I have constantly engaged my friends in discussions and carefully painted an image of an existing middle class at which many living abroad cannot imagine, a middle class drifting on a roller skate much more expensive than most living on a similar middle class in the diaspora. How then do we determine who drifts on this roller skate, without going too deep into a survey, lets just state some basic signs of who belong to an existing middle class in a city like Lagos. As a bachelor or a spinster, if you load your phone (whatever phone) with at least 500 naira recharge card a day, but not just that, if you have a "normal car" constantly wound up and you are able to fuel it before it get close to the E sign, your regular monthly subscription includes a cable tv, an internet connection (minimum of 9pm to 9am) and able to stock food stuffs in your cupboard, no matter where you live - As a family man, you have the above responsibilities plus your kids attending a relatively average private school where they could afford to teach them computer studies, French language and some extra curricular activities like drama, dance and music. Then you belong to a middle class and above.

However, in the midst of all these class formation, in the midst of everything that separate the men from the boys. Our queue and bid for the best electrical power generators, hunt for diesel and fuel every night and the hope for an regular power supply has brought us all together as helpless masses. It no longer matters weather you are rich or poor, we've all began to get used to our sufferings in disguise, we struggle to pay for overpriced cable TV, internet and we complain of how expensive they are, but we realise that further shit happens when we are unable to watch our cable TV or charge our laptop, because PHCN (power holding company of NIGERIA) holds electricity to show how powerful they are. Now all Nigerians opt for a way out. Yes a powerful electrical power generator, what PHCN can do, a generator can do better. This philosophy has been the mother of our continuous torture in Nigeria, we forget that using generator to charge laptops is as good as digging a grave for the life span of our highly over priced laptops. Each time I take my Macbook Pro to Nigeria, I pay the price of loosing my charger pack which costs 90€ at each return to europe where I'm sure of getting something original again, then I realise that darkness in Nigeria is not the absence of light, but the presence of corruption.

Its GOLD and DIAMOND to be a Nigerian nowadays. This is what informed a group of very well meaning and determined young Nigerians to stand up to change bad habits. We call the insurgence "Light Up Nigeria" with a slogan ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I discovered the cause on facebook and the mini manifesto goes thus "Please support the cause and join the revolution. Together we can make a difference. Perhaps, the most common question heard is “Why an online revolution?” An online revolution such as this is the safest, cheapest and most collaborative form of protest we can all engage in. While our voice is online, we are creating greater awareness to the issue at hand and given the small world phenomenon, we know our cries and protests will get to the right people. We need the likes of TV stations such as CNN, BBC, AIT and radio stations to know and broadcast details about this revolution. Once we are successful at this, we can commence with a street movement as need be. At this point, it is worth nothing that Nigeria can’t be lit up in a day but with great minds thinking and working together with the support of the higher authorities and available funding, we will see the outcome of our movement. So join the revolution and tell your friends, family, enemies and random people on the street to LIGHT UP NIGERIA. Enough is Enough!! Join the movement on twitter: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=lightupnigeria. Join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=104082514556"

The Elephant Trust

2009-07-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday received my pack back from the Elephant Trust and unfortunately was not successful with it ....so time consuming making all these applications!

The credit crunch is also perhaps another element in this equation with increased applications not only from individuals but also organisations at the moment due to cuts in Arts Council funding for these places - hence the sustainability funding streams created by them (ACE) for organisations now, which even Spike Island is now going to compete for, in spite of gaining a top up for regional excellence.

Well onward and upward!

Recent email from Amara on an artist Residency in Norway

2009-06-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

Hello,

I am elated today! Well kind of relieved that it's working out. The Director here, has just continued today, his approval on the work so far, on an idea that I have.

There is no art gallery here, so this institution does not organize art exhibitions in this place, and hence the people in this city are not too keen on seeing art- according to them that's why there is no art gallery.
I thought of taking art to them then, to put it under and before their noses (I hope that is not so rude- well, I kind of do not care!) in very middle of their city centre. He said Ok, .... let us see sketches etc, etc.

It is community art, for me. I am collaborating with the shoe factory here, and working with material from the factory, as well as from a sewing outfit. They may not think so, but the three institutions are working together to make this art project.

Work has gone on someway, and so far so good. By tomorrow, we, well, -Nkd, not me- will seek approval from the municipality. To know what technical people will be needed, and the possibility (if), what harm the material will cause the grasses; what harm holes in the ground will cause the soil and the environment, and what harm the sight of the art will cause the moods of the people.. you can go on and on...

He thinks we should have the work up for two weeks.

Thank You, for listening,
I have to go- more to do on sketches and drafts, plan and photographs, against tomorrow. best as I can-, they've got to be convinced. It is a promise!

29.6.09 Email from Professor John Picton in reference to 'African Arts' submission

2009-06-29T15:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Kate,
Many thanks for your letter and CD.

I can see some necessary copy-editing. Skip Cole is not an anthropologist but an art historian; and you write 'practises', where you mean 'practices' [practice = noun; practise = verb]. I hope it gets published: no-one else has this documentation. It will be peer-reviewed, perhaps by people such as Sylvetser Ogbechie, Cole's successor at UC Santa Barbara, or Chika Okeke (I forget where he is). It will be interesting to see the comments you get back.

Also, re copy-editing, is it correct to describe Igbo farmers as nomadic? It's true that for much of the region there were no towns until the colonial development thereof, and in the 1960s one drove through the Igbo are and you could see a compound here, another over there, rather like the farms distributed across the English and Welsh countryside; but no towns. Igbo village groups, established via the kinship networks of individual households, were constrained by relationships of potential (if not actual) feuding relationships with neighbouring village groups. One could not move around that much. Obviously, the techniques of 'slash-and-burn' (or swidden) agriculture, in which farm plots were created by burning the existing foliage to fertilise the land before planting crops, meant that in the next season the land had to be left fallow, and a new plot was prepared, meant that there was some movement; but it was no more than within the tract of land that was established as the property of the village group, and this was not even transhumant, let alone nomadic. It so happens that the success of the yam and oil palm agriculture led to population growth, such that once colonial and missionary activity began to offer schooling together with new work opportunities throughout Nigeria, Igbo people were enthusiastic in taking up these opportunities. Otherwise Igbo culture would have collapsed under the weight of a local overpopulation.

This in turn led to an Igbo diaspora throughout Nigeria composed of clerks, schoolteachers, railway workers. Anglican and especially Catholic Christianity also swept through these diasporic Igbo communities enabling them to discern which aspects of their home-village cultural inheritance were compatible with the new religion and which were not. Cultural festivals were preserved, and indeed people from different village groups began to see that there was a common ground: back at home you would not dare to venture to another group's festivities: that was asking for trouble! As a result you get the emergence of an educated elite, with local and diasporic experiences, who began to formulate a sense of Igbo identity; and this was enhanced by missionary work in translating Biblical and catechetical texts and the emergence of an Igbo literacy inevitably grounded in Christianity. Already by the time of Cole's research the Catholic Bishop of Owerri was Igbo, there is the Igbo Cardinal, Arinze, whose PhD was on sacrifice in Igbo religion.

Regarding the present condition of mbari houses, I understood from Cole that preservation was always beside the point given that the construction was a sacrifice, and that once the elders had approved the finished work the sacrifice was complete. In that case, conservation and preservation was necessarily culturally inappropriate; but I can't remember what he says about the novel fashion for building them in concrete. When built of earthe there was no need for Christians to demolish them as they were destined to self-demolition as it were.
Anglican and Catholic Christianities have been around for more than a hundred years, and one cannot possible regard them as somehow not really Igbo. Indeed, historically the presence of those Christianities is, as I've suggested, in fact earlier than the emergence of an Igbo cultural identity. Moreover, there may well be a Christian element in the very emergence of that identity (as there was in Yoruba: Yoruba cultural nationalism/identity was in truth initiated by two CofE clergymen!). One has to beware of putting together a simple set of oppositional contrasts:
traditional/modern,
divination, sacrifice and the local gods/Christianity;
authentically Igbo/inauthentic,
etc/etc.
This is at best a gross oversimplification; and as you discovered some of the finest scholars of the pre-Christian religious tradition have been Catholic priests, especially since Pope Paul's recommendation of the necessity of inculturation. Rejection of the past was always foolish; but it would be equally foolish to assert that everything about the past was good. The rejection of twins was a case in point: if a woman gave birth to twins the babies were abandoned in the forest to starve to death and/or be eaten by wild animals. Or the sacrifice of slaves or disabled people in specific cult circumstances (whether this still goes on is debatable; but the knowledge that it once happened fuels the paranoid fear that it might still). Moreover, no-one would reject school-university education on the basis that it was of colonial/missionary origin, just as local textile and dress traditions are, equally, parts of local modernities. Of course, there are Igbo intellectuals who have rejected Christianity for various reasons; and yet there has also been the (in my view pernicious) growth of local charismatic/Pentecostal churches mostly of southern USA inspiration. So the picture is one of huge complexity, with an equally complex set of adjustments, compromises, etc. Of course, because I am a Catholic, you might predict that I would write in this way; but the historical evidence is there, and people were quick to discern the differences between the stupidities predicated upon colonial and early missionary ignorance of local culture and the value of all the new forms of education, technology and religion.

Some of all this is explored in a thesis that should be in soas library by Elizabeth Willis (or Peri-Willis) entitled something like 'Uli painting and Igbo Identity'
Not least amongst the surprises of contemporary Igbo culture is the resilience of masquerade. During the civil war in the 1960s I was forever seeing Nigerian military vehicles festooned with masks ripped off from Igbo villages, and I remember trying to get the permanent secretary of my ministry to persude the army to stop doing this; just as a few years previously I had made representations to the head of the Vatican diplomatic office in Lagos to stop Irish missionaries making bonfires out of Igbo masks and figure sculpture. At any rate, during the civil war huge quantities of local sculpture were vandalised, a lot of it escaping through Cameroun and thence into the European and American art market. One might have expected that traditions were destroyed; and yet, within a few years, everything was reinvented. There has also been a more recent process of transferring masquerade into carnival, and this has been an entirely local movement that would serve to remove masked performance from a cult/sacrificial environment and thus render it acceptable within a local modernity in large part determined by education, literacy and Christianity. And yet, as your paper shows, there remain contexts within which local cult and divination practices retain their relevance.

These comments, which I realise go far beyond anything in your paper, come from a very quick glance through. I hope it gets published: no-one else has the documentary material that you have. Do let me know what the response from African Arts is. Sorry if I'm repeating myself!

Love from us both, John

Tales of the Unexpected

2009-06-27T03:17:00.000-07:00

John and Sue Picton came to dinner recently and we got talking about human sacrifice...as you do when tucking in to flesh! I was saying about how human sacrifice still seems to be practiced which they did not entirely deny, but he said that sometimes in a place where there are a lot of human skulls, they have often got there not through human ritual sacrifice but through war or some other natural disaster. This of course reaffirms the old research adage of not jumping to conclusions, or making assumptions, and providing evidence for what you say - unlike the current media, which always like to put a spin on events.

John also told me that whilst he was working in Yorubaland that one day he was told not to go out because they were going to kidnap people for human sacrifice....needless to say John went out and DID live to see the day!!!

I was told by locals in Igboland that they only chose LOCAL people and currently 'hunchbacks', so that would count foreigners out - unless of course they happen to be oil workers it seems but that would be for ransom and political attention one would assume!

Modern Technology!

2009-05-30T03:23:00.000-07:00

Skype
I just managed not to laugh my head off, what you say about skype... so funny. ..it is quite easy you know , maybe you will just need to pay attention to all the icons and study them kind of. The amazing thing about it is that it is free if you are calling someone on skype too.

Amara's website and blogging
Did you get my last email with questions on your website..I admire it,,, and it is so sweet with all those photos from our project.

Yes with this website thing, it is really a mine, just as you have said, you are never sure where to drop your feet. I have been reading everything for the past week...reviews, hosting companies websites, how to do this and that...it is crazy!
I thought of using Yahoo to host, as they have been there for a long time, and may not be shutting down out of the blues. But I was reading their reviews last night. They are messing about now. I laughed all through at the way(tone) people narrated their disappointments with Yahoo. They are losing clients by the hour, and in thousands....well according to this review- as you never know what is true and what is not, on the Internet

Well at the moment, I have narrowed it down to a company in Illinois called Webhosting pad. The major complaint of some clients is that they may charge you at random, but then if I always pay through pay pal (a third party), it should be OK- like that they will not have my billing information at all. They give a site builder software for free. The issue now is am I very sure I want to go with them?? I will try out the demo of this their software, to see how user friendly it is. Otherwise a guy here would take 200 Euros (double oops!!) to build it. But assuming I can cough up that to give him, it would mean phoning him up now and again (from Nigeria) for this and that- because I would know know anything about my site, as well as phoning up Webhosting pad, when something goes off the hook. I will see what I do, but I am glad I am narrowing things down to few options.

Blogging
About blogging??? You know how Internet in Nigeria can be hit and miss sometimes. That kind of pressure can be annoying. I would just like to things once and for all (at least almost).

I have been paying a lot of attention to the blog recently, reading everything. I already wrote you earlier concerning the spelling of Chigozie's name [CORRECTED NOW]. Their are some more facts, which you have got not completely right/halfway correct...or not the full information etc etc, and some names that have not been spelt correctly. They should be correct in case somebody who is enlightened in any of those areas goes through the blog -I intend to direct father Okere, and a lot of other people to it,some academia.

Rodas Okorocha Foundation (Kaduna)

2009-05-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Had another text from Amara saying that she was going to try and raise funds for the collaboration and was going make an application to the Rodas Okorocha Foundation in Kaduna.... hope it works as we surely need some more support for the ambition of the project.

Learnt yesterday that buying a different SIM (eg Tescos! this is not an advert, unless they would like to sponsor us of course!!!) could save me money on texting to Nigeria, much in the same way that Amara was using her three mobile phones and numerous SIMs to make cheaper calls depending on where she was phoning!

Now connected this blog to my website under the 'Research Section' which l think might be more useful and hopefully more people might comment. It is interesting though how many people might read a blog but not make a comment....have to say l am perhaps guilty of that myself!!!

'Wastelands', Newlyn Art Gallery, Cornwall

2009-05-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Managed to get the installation 'Presence / Absence II' set up for the 'Wastelands' show in spite of a fractured foot, thanks to the help of David and Harry and it seemed to receive good reviews which was heartening - Dr Virginia Button emailed me to say that "your work really is the signature work of the show". However it was lovely to be part of a show that was all very interesting work.

I felt this work was more successful than at the Phoenix Gallery in Brighton previously, because of the spacial relationship to the holes and the ratio of the ceiling to floor space. Everyone seemed to be convinced that it was not a false floor which was good. As usual the whole process of making was as, if not more, exciting than the finale.....better to travel than arrive as Oscar Wilde once said. I really enjoy the processes leading up to finished work as it is like not having a dogmatic point of view, it is open to further and potential ideas and not fixed in time, it could change.

The show is on until 17th.and 18th.May. My thanks too should go to the Newlyn Art Gallery and the University of Falmouth for their kind support.

Communication at last!

2009-04-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

Amarachi and l have found it incredibly difficult to contact each other by email and l have had to resort to sending messages via El Anatsui's email address - a BIG THANK YOU El! We have decided that mobile phones are the only reliable means of communication again - will have to find a cheaper way of doing this!

We are at present moving on with ideas for the artwork which will be shown in Lagos first, at various venues to include the contemporary art space called Terra Kulture, the British Council/Goethe-Institut, National Art Gallery and Lagos Museum - this is being negotiated as we speak. Luckily their email systems seem to work....or at least some of the time..."Power and Darkness" willing!

AMARA: "On my thoughts concerning the work, I am interested in the religious aspects of Mbari. For me, the summary of mbari is that it was constructed so that the ‘particular god’ will be constructive, and not destructive. Its is significant for me that people, in religions, still have similar belief/fear, and act accordingly, although they may probably be dealing with a different kind of contemporary god .The interest for me is that while at it, everyone insists that there is a huge difference between the prevailing religion and the former. It is like moving around in circles- that hybrid thing if you remember…
Another is the notion that Mbari/Ala is offered to beget and give wealth. This is interesting for me, when it is paralleled with the thinking of a typical Nigerian, on issues of livelihood today. I am definitely making sculpture Installations that would require ample space for them to have an interesting presence. I am not making many works" (13.4.09)

KATE: I am evolving ideas around Fact and Fiction taking ideas only from the Mbari religious beliefs but the contemporary culture as l found it in general. The idea of reality and allusion (or illusion) is interesting to me and the 'powers of the invisible', which was reinforced by an incident in the house l was staying in in Lagos - where my glasses case was moving of its own volition which spooked my hosts out no end, until it was discovered that the fan on the ceiling was doing it but only on the full blast setting!!! - likewise one of the High Priests we met was convinced that he saw a python in the interior chamber to the Mbari house we were visiting and visibly shook in fear. Other concepts may be around alchemy which also involves some elements of the 'unknown' which intrigues me. Some of the outcomes may be film. These l want to show through TV screens as they are everywhere and form a major influence on peoples lives and are culturally the most accessible - 'Africa Magic' was very popular! Other outcomes may be three dimensional in sculptural form as installations.

15.12.08 FLYING HOME

2009-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

Outside Lagos airport is this huge mosaic done by a well-known Nigerian artist which brightens the otherwise ordinary exterior of the building.

Well ....what an amazing experience, as John Picton said full of everything in equal measure!

Mrs Thomas gave me a wonderful cloth to take home which was like the wrap that she worn to church in a beautiful royal blue with pink embroidery with a head scarf to match. In the morning l took some video of Chigozi on the squeaky swing which she did quite frequently.

I shall certainly miss the heat and all the excitement!

14.12.08 Jeroma's Garden of Paradise

2009-02-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Met Jerome tonight another friend of Mrs Thomas's, who had a fabulous garden full of tropical plants and trees, including a coco tree which he was very proud of. The house was also big and another building housed an indoor swimming pool.

Jerome went to Hornsey School of Art in the 1960’s and studied Graphics. Then after the three year undergraduate course came back to Nigeria to set up a printing works, which is how he made his fortune.

He comes from Benin and is revered amongst people around him as there seems to be a real fear of the juju / voodou ‘connected with people from Benin (even Amara thought this). This is why he feels able to leave his house unlocked, in spite of all his now quite valuable paintings and prints. Mrs Thomas said that he must have things buried around the garden or house, which it was believed would confuse the robbers, make them quarrel amongst themselves or they would be compulsed to sweep the compound until day break. Yet another tale about magic and mystery!!!

The G & T was good – Gordons! We were spoilt!

13.12.08 Visiting

2009-02-09T08:57:00.000-08:00

Went to see one of Mrs Thomas's friends who had been married to an important politican at one time. This is a photograph of her sitting-room.

We discussed the research which lead on to her talking about her belief in the evil shrines. She knew of an Anambra shrine where she saw human skeletons. She confirmed the ideas of killing hunch-backs and how there was quite a bit of money to be made in human sacrifice. She said she spent eleven years in the US and her father did not believe in any religion, and so was brought up without any particular religious views, but she still believed in the fear of these shrines and the evil they could transmit. She talked about the ‘Ofor stick’ (used to pass judgement on someone by pointing at the person) that I was given by Sylvester, and she warned that if you use it it will surely work, but you have to make sure that you are without blemish too for it to work, or it will back-fire on you.

The fear of the unknown is still very powerful in Nigeria. Some of these mysteries however could be dispelled or accounted for by more scientific /psychological knowledge though.

SCULPTURAL RUBBISH

2009-02-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

12.12.08 British Council and Goethe-Institute (Lagos)

2009-02-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

Went to see the British Council and the Goethe-Institute as possible venues today.

10.12.08 LAGOS MUSEUM

2009-02-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Had a good look at the exhibition space here – there was a local exhibition of mainly paintings. I paced out the floor and drew diagrams. Looked at the publications that the museum produced for potential articles.

The Editor, Nigerian Heritage, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Plot 2018 Cotonon Crescent, Wuse Zone 6, PM B 171, Abuja, Nigeria.
Editor (2005) is Vicky Obehi James BA, Postgrad Dip Lib.
Art and production editor: A.O.Opaleye BA FPP (The Hague)
Editorial Advisory Board Dr F.N.Anozire (UNN)

Nigerian Heritage Journal of the NCMM. Vol14, 2005 which is produced annually.

No electricity at the museum today so only managed to see the exhibits around the courtyard. Some interesting standing stones made of basalt, the meaning of which was not recorded. Some twin dolls were interesting with bright blue pigment on their heads and what looks like mud or compacted matter lodged around the legs and cracks on the lower body - similar to the ones that Bruce Onobrakpeya had collected. The gallery space looks OK to show provided we have some light. A lot of the photographs of old Lagos, masquerades, dancing etc. were very badly damaged by the sun and general wear and tear as they were not in an enclosed space or protected by glass either.

Other places we went to today were the Jazzhhole for music CDs, Quintessence Gallery which was rather arty crafty and more of a gift shop, Bogibiri Guest House which was full of character but a bit run down and opposite was the former Nimbus Gallery which had been abandoned.

The taxi home as usual was an exciting time - first time Amara and l broke down laughing! The driver had to replace the clutch cable, then the battery was flat, so he had to eventually get out and push the car, then he stalled it in traffic, so again had to push it…this time engaging a street seller to do the pushing – by this time it was getting dark quickly 6 pm. and so the fiasco continued. Eventually we arrived home, AGAIN MIRACULOUSLY!

9.12.08 Contemporary Centre of Art, Lagos

2009-02-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we went to the Contemporary Centre of Art to meet up with Bisi Silva who is a contemporary African art curator and gallerist. This gallery is on the second floor of this building in Lagos which reminded me of some of the gallery spaces in New York, although in Lagos rather more difficult to find. She had organised a celebration to commemorate the first year of opening and had various speakers, one of whom was an art critic who had also spent some time in Nairobi - so we exchanged notes on this. Chocolate cake was order of the day!

Went to see Bisi Silva at her home today and we had a chat about the project and contemporary art in Lagos and Nigeria in general. Basically they lacked an informed audience Bisi told us, as the audience wants to see art for sale. The shows will only be on for about one week and then she said that most galleries will only promote the work on the first night, which again is problematic.

We discussed venues with her for our joint show. The venues we are thinking about for our shows in Lagos are Terra Kulture, British Council, National Gallery of Art, and the Lagos Museum, as a lot of other galleries we have seen tend to be more up-market craft outlets like the Quintessence Gallery. Basically we need to find a space that we can work with, rather than targeting ‘suitable venues’, as it seems few people go to see the exhibitions anyway! She said that she was going to give up the CCA in about 2011 as a) it was expensive and b) she did not want to keep doing the exhibitions especially every 6 weeks - she aims for 4 shows a year at the moment, and c) the religious thing is a serious issue that gets in the way of proper academic research and critical appraisal – this seemed to confirmed my views so far, although I had not been around long enough to gauge it. This latter issue was the third and perhaps the main reason for giving up her space, as it was something she found very difficult to get beyond in terms of her audience.

Bisi has an excellent blog which can be recommended.

8.12.08 CULTURAL INFLUENCES

2009-02-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

These are some of the cultural artefacts that Bruce Onobrakpeya is influenced by and incorporates into his work, which he often obtains from Lekki market. Most are Yoruba pieces, but he also collects and appropriates from other cultures as well, which he says is common practice among most artists.

8.12.08 BRUCE ONOBRAPEYA'S STUDIO

2009-02-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

He works directly by carving into slabs of plaster creating negative shapes and then makes the positive form from this out of fibreglass resin. Some works look as if they are beaten into the mould using a tin and aluminium alloy which is relatively soft, and then mounted on wood and painted – these look like printing blocks. He replicates his work on a) different surfaces b) different scales and c) colour ways, capitalising on his output.

He is very influenced by indigenous cultural artefacts and often obtains these from Lekki market. He is making a shrine at the moment and likes using ethnographic pieces he finds in Lekki market as inspiration, which local people are afraid of and associate with ‘fetish’ or non-Christian values eg. false gods and idols which the church still promotes as bad. Bruce denies being part of any actual cult (as rumour has it!) but uses the knowledge from the past to inform his present and future works.

I told him about the burning of a piece of his work by Bumi’s uncle, Ike. Ike had this print up in his office and he was told by numerous people that the print was evil and that he should get rid of it - one of these people was a priest. He said he had bad things happen to him to do with his business, so he burnt it. When l asked him how he knew that the print had been the direct cause of these unusual events, he just said that the things that had happened could not be linked with anything else and that is how he knew to destroy it! Bruce did not seem to be bothered, saying that it is life, the work is made and exists and then he forgets it and then moves on to a new piece – likewise with a deteriorating relief in resin I saw in a dark corner downstairs, where the material was becoming very unstable.

His work is also very influenced by Modernism, especial Henry Moore (totem figures) and he had painted an equivalent of Cezannes’s The Bathers’ and is likewise influenced by Matisse's 'Dancers'. He likened art to life and told the story of his mentor, a Mexican artist, who told him that even if he did not make it as an artist (himself) he would have to keep going – he had no other option. He had also been influenced by an Ethiopean Calligrapher/artist.

Bruce mentioned how Gauguin would not have painted what he did and became known for it unless he was actually in Tahiti and the South Seas, so like him Bruce is very influenced very the culture he lives in and his own background which is Yoruba . His son, Mudiare, said he knew a lot about Art History and indeed he said himself that he owed a lot to other cultures.

He uses aluminium sheet for his etchings using beeswax to mask out the plates and instead of Hydrochloric acid uses ‘Dutch modern’ to bite into the surface.

His house was on various floors, the basement being offices, textile and storage area, the second floor living quarters and more work rooms, and the top floor was a printing workshop where his assistants were busy working. Bruce employs about 8 assistants with one studio manager who seemed to be working on Bruce’s latest textile pieces incorporating spark plugs, bones (fish) beads, computer circuit boards, hessian type cloth background made into sections of different colours (see image). Bruce showed him what he wanted doing and then left the assistant sewing these down for him. In the corner of the room were plastic pipes that he was putting stringed beads (and other items ) on dangling down and various leopard prints, etc on to them. In the sitting-room area Mudiare showed us a piece called 'Royal Vignette (1987), which he considered to be a seminal piece.

Bruce told us that he made books as a form of documentation of his work and practice. One of his early books was divided into half of it being about the process of his work and the other images of this work. He also had a book of all/any press cuttings. Bruce teaches to complement his art practice.

He has a huge warehouse/building in the Delta region where his other works are stored and where he runs the annual Harmattan workshops inviting artists to attend at approx £125 for the duration of the course. These workshops are a cross between a conference and a residency for artists, and as well as teaching himself, he invites guest speakers and other artists to come together to create this forum.

8.12.08 Human Sacrifice

2009-02-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

Ike and l were chatting about the rituals involved with the Mbari tradition this morning. He was saying that for the sacrifices all the animals and even eggs had to be local.

If a person owed a lot of dog sacrifices and did not pay his dues, these gods would demand human blood, but again it would have to be a local person.

The gods that demand only dogs to be slaughtered are usually very powerful gods and frequently require sacrifices – their need for blood is constant! There appears to be no visible difference between a dog that is sacrificed and one that is used as a messenger from the gods.

The humans that are prime targets are usually hunch-backs. Ike says that is why you do not see so many around now but there were more about in the 1970’s! It is still a strong practice and people go missing quite often. Apart from this, there is also a trade in human organs! The person to be sacrificed would not know about it because they would be kidnapped.

I am not so sure about child sacrifice, although a lot of people in UK have asked me about it (as they have seen a television programme about children that have been accused of being witches) but as far l know I was not told that this happened in connection with the Mbari tradition. However you wonder who will be next after people with spinal disabilities disappear entirely!

There is however a fear of witches in the villages, not too far from Lagos, as Chignozi (Mrs Thomas's adopted 'daughter') was afraid that witches would get her after dark and was too afraid of going across the landing to the loo and so urinated in the corner of the room. This was cured by giving her a torch and reassuring her that the people around her would protect and care for her.

Referring back to magic Ike said that there are witches and one woman he knew became initiated into this by taking various herbs and drinks and then she felt she was able to fly – he really believed this! He did not feel it was just drug induced. Apparently once you are initiated, and you become a witch, there is no chance of reversing this ritual process.

Amara was also saying how scarred she was of Benin people who did bad magic and could levitate people and things. Ike also talking about and believed in bad magic and evil people. Quite extraordinary that people believe this so strongly still.

7.12.08 JOURNEY FROM HELL 1 AND 2

2009-02-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday getting back from Victoria Island was HORRENDOUS and decided to go to this supermarket on the way – we were stuck in grid-lock traffic for 3 hours. Before we set off in the morning we had to give the taxi driver 2000 (£10) for fuel, which seems to be fairly usual these days for ropey taxis - 69 naire a litre (40p per litre approximately). To make matters worse we were paying the taxi by the hour! (12 hours in all at 1000 naira per hour! – needless to say we negotiated a set price with taxis after this episode, for the distance not the time!

A mini bus had conked out by the side of the road and a hugely fat man who did not look as if he was going anywhere for two obvious reasons, sat by the vehicle on the curb. However later l spotted him over-taking our stationary taxi with what seemed like a comparative pace!!! Twice! Our taxi driver this day was hopeless, and did not know ‘down town’ Lagos, hence the delays and just sitting in traffic! Oh Joy! Eventually we got to ‘Shoprite’! A big supermarket – not my favourite thing in my own life back in the UK, even at the best of times - at this point l was loosing the will to live!

Piled back in the car – meanwhile the driver was sitting cross-legged on the bonnet of his old banger - and off we went again to join the long road back with cars now dangerously hurling themselves all over the road at top speed. We were however now going at some odd sedate pace down the middle of the road! I guessed this was to avoid the breakdowns in the slow lane and the maniacs on the other side, at this point l felt it pertinent not to ask!

Then l could see that there was a broken down TIR in front of us, which actually had a red triangle at the back of it – approaching at our SAME steady speed l realised, as we got rather near it, that he had not noticed this..... do l grit my teeth and wait for the bang, shout and wake him up, or will he notice it in the next 10 seconds I thought to myself! The exclamation told me that he had at last noticed it and we managed to avoid it, whilst not causing an accident on the other side!

We must have passed the Goethe-Institute at least twice on that eventful journey back, which l am sure we were not supposed to, that is if my map reading was right.

Ended by paying him 12,000 naire (£60!) from 10am to 10.30 pm – a lot of that was sitting in traffic, getting lost, and asking people the way!

Went to the Harmattan Gallery run by Mudiare Onobrakpeya, Bruce Onobrakpeya’s son. His gallery consisted of a foyer with two offices going off at each side where some artwork was also stored. The foyer had cream tiled floor, white walls and spot lights.

Mudiare who had done an MBA in the US and studied accounting before this in the UK – certainly walked the talk!!! He represents about 5 artists, one being his father, Jimoh Buraimah (70’s Oshogbo artist making figurative paintings with beadwork), Dr Peju Laiwola, and Sam Ovraiti (painter using impasto).

We saw a triptach of his father’s work depicting the last supper with the stations of the cross around it, which was made to look like bone or ivory but was in fact resin (or plastic as they often call it here). He said it was made to look like bone or ivory, as it was a material that people identified with and was connected with religious iconography. It was interesting to me though that it was a 'fake' material, like the plastic (made to look like wood) mounding around the door frame in the Vines Hotel.

Another horrendous journey back from Terra Kulture in a clapped out taxi – had to hide again while Amara negotiated a fee – 1600 to get back usually 2000 and 3500 from another ‘taxi rank’. We broke down twice (dark when we left too!) – steam coming out of the bonnet this time – first fixed the fan – then it was obviously that it needed water, which we managed to get for him, but luckily we did not use Plan B, which was to abandon the taxi and try another.

Thankfully we got home in one piece!

6.12.08 HOT WATER BOTTLES!

2009-02-06T16:46:00.000-08:00

On the way into the centre of Lagos l saw a man selling hot water bottles....they must be crazy l thought in this heat! Amara informs me that they are put on aches and pains.....maybe ice would be a good alternative here?

I saw what looked like rams driving combis along the express highway.....they were going to a ram market. Others were heaped up in the back of anything that would fit them in. This ram market it was in a rather poor area with shanty town shacks near a series of fly-overs. It turned out to be a Muslim festival and they were all going to be slaughtered. Some poor things did not want to be lead away and so ended up with their feet being tied up and carried, others seemed to stand in defiance, whilst others looked bewildered.

We also went to the gallery called 'Terra Kulture' which was a contemporary space and we thought this could be a possibility for showing some of the work produced from this project. Another day we went to an Art Auction here mainly of African carving, which was quasi traditional and quasi contemporary with some very interesting pieces, but a lot did not appeal to me, however the ones that did sell fetched quite high prices.

LATCHES AND CATCHES

2009-02-06T16:41:00.000-08:00

Some of these improvised locking devices work very well, as with this nail in the bathroom in Lagos, but l must say the locking system for the IT cupboard at the National Gallery of Art in Abuja looks a bit wanting!!!!

5.12.08 CHIGOZIE

2009-02-06T16:26:00.000-08:00

Chigozie was a little girl who had been brought back from one of the villages to start schooling in Lagos as at the age of ten she could neither read or write, even write her name, so Mrs Thomas took her under her motherly wing. After doing some writing exercises with the little girl and got her to do a drawing of me, she fell asleep on the carpet near me with her papers under her hands.

I plotted out on the map where all the smaller galleries were in and around Lagos and familiarised myself with some of the main areas. Still no electricity at 5.25 pm from the morning and no water either as it has to be pumped up from the bore hole. Have to flush the loo with the water from the barrel in the bathroom and getting the art of having a shower using the bucket!!!

Chigozie stayed asleep for some while, she must have been very tired. She is very sweet and calls me and Amara her aunties.

4.12.08 'SPEEDY'S' TROPICAL GARDEN

2009-02-06T16:11:00.000-08:00

We flew to Lagos airport where we were kindly met by Mrs Lizzie Thomas, the mother of Bumi an ex-student of mine. She had the most wonderful garden, which was so relaxing after a lot of busy places. The plants were exuberant with colour, texture and strong growth.

In amongst all this was 'Speedy' the pet tortoise who came calling evey two or three days for bread, or salad. He apparently cost 50p!

4.12.08 Back to ENUGU to fly to LAGOS

2009-02-06T16:09:00.000-08:00

2009-02-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

3.12.08 Inside the studio

2009-02-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

It was great to see his vast metallic cloths, like the ones he had on exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2007, here just lying on the floor with his assistants walking to and fro over them. A great many of his wooden reliefs lined the walls and the sacks of bottle tops were all stacked up around the entrance to the main door. Yet another combi load of 'materials' arrived in sacks for him whilst l was there.

Uche showed me around and patiently answered any questions I might have. Sunday was a day when El likes to be on his own in the studio to ponder the work without hinderance, but otherwise there are quite a few assistants that help him in producing the work. He often takes photographs of the work as it progresses and then looks at them on the computer to critically appraise them.

I felt very privileged to be invited to see all this work and left feeling contented and happy that l had done so.

3.12.08 El Anatsui's Studio

2009-02-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Dr Godwin drove me to El's studio which was off campus, where l was met by Uche - El's studio manager and himself a sculptor.

El recently returned from the USA where he was installing a work for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York and was then scheduled to start a commission in Kentucky but he needed to survey the site first.

Uche said that his next series of work might be a return to the wooden reliefs, but that he was collecting tubes and cement sacks to start new work.

Unfortunately El was not very well, so our time was rather short for a lot of discussion about art, the universe and everything, but l thank him very much for giving me the permission to take these photographs of his wonderful work.

3.12.08 TWO GENERATORS LATER

2009-02-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

This was the day l was to give my lecture about my work and the collaborative project that Amarachi l were currently engaged in.
The lecture (unsurprisingly now) was late starting, which was in part due to the electricity going off, but thanks to the Head of Department, Dr Godwin and Kingsley number two generator saved the day - after a bit of ad-libbing!!!

Most of the questions were concerning types of art, the fine art versus craft debate, and the differences and definitions between commercial art and conceptual art. Also how an artist survives eg. makes money from their practice. The issues that arise particularly in Africa were difficulties of developing an audience for art and patronage, self-survival and l was asked by a member of staff here what it was l would like to be remembered for if l died...what was my message? He picked up that l had a love for the natural world, the earth as a material, and the importance of this today in terms of our environment, which led on to issues of 'progress' and development. It would have been nice to have carried this discussion on into a series of seminars.

2.12.08 Plowing through the dissertations

2009-02-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

As well as reading and making notes from the dissertations we spent most of the day organising the equipment for the lecture and making a poster for the event.

1.12.08 University of Nigeria, Nsukka

2009-02-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

We found our way to the University guesthouse which was very comfortable and the Vice Chancellor very kindly gave us free accommodation and food whilst we were there. Most of all I wanted to meet El Anatsui and see his work whilst l was in Nsukka.

Amara and l read through various undergraduate thesis with the odd postgraduate thesis to augment our research into Mbari - a lot of these were descriptive accounts. However they were interesting to read.

One of the new blocks was going to be the new library which was a good move.

Both well-known Nigerian writers Chinua Achebe (Things Fall Apart) and Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche (Purple Hibiscus) taught at the university, which features in their books. The house taken at dusk is the house on campus where they both happened to live at different times. It was great to see the place that they were writing about having read their books.

30.11.08 IN GOD WE TRUST!

2009-02-06T12:44:00.000-08:00

This was just one of the funny moments along the road....the petrol tanker that read HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE, NO SMOKING and then 'IN GOD WE TRUST'.....interesting combo!

30.11.08 The Road to Nsukka

2009-02-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Started out on the road at 6am for Enugu, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, being our final destination.

We had a dodgy driver and car (beat up old Merc) which blared out gospel music in Igbo and also some in English quite a bit of the way. The car kept stalling at potholes - the driver was a mechanic! This photograph is the second time it conked out completely.....Amara here is looking like she backed the wrong horse!!!

The scenery as we passed was quite dense with trees, interspersed with drier more desert-like patches. Tarmac in between the potholes nearly all the way. Three police blocks at which we had to stop, but we were waved on luckily.

After some navigational difficulties, no signs and a few enforced stops we finally arrived at the University about 12 noon after 6 hours on the road.

Tonight we walked around the campus and talked to some postgraduate students who were preparing for their assessments for the next day.

THE 'EZE'

2009-02-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Amara's uncle who lives at Umahia is an 'Eze', which is akin to royalty - note the car number plate!

The 'Eze' system was set up by the colonialists and was not much liked amongst the Igbo, as they tended to run their internal affairs democratically. The Hausa and the Yoruba had natural heads of state in Shieks and Kingships respectively, which the colonialists found suited their own ends as they could manipulate the people through them. The Igbo have always remained rebellious in this way, according to Father Okere.

As well as being an Eze, Amara's uncle is the chief of the area and so must have quite a bit of responsibility for the community. It was very nice of him and his wife to extend their very kind hospitality to me and it was lovely to be amongst the whole family.

We spent today racing around getting her other Uncle dressed up for photographs, as his inauguration as Monsenior was imminent - however without the purple sash and red boxed hat with tassel, which must have set off this rig-out nicely.

29.11.08 TYPHOID TEA!

2009-02-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

Went into the market today which is the biggest in town, which was semi enclosed with huts and stalls - mainly kitchen utensils and smelly fish.....my favourite!

Looking at the teas in a shop outside l had to do a double take when l read on the label 'Typhoid Tea'....thought at first it was a misspelling of Typhoo Tea....but NO....there was 'Manhood Tea' , 'Dragon Power Tea', both it seemed fertility teas, and then l realised l was at the herbal counter - very expensive though!

THE YAM BARN

2009-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

This was my favourite part of the house as it seemed so romantic set in a central courtyard in the house, which seemed like a series of sprawling rooms leading from one into another. The light was particularly magic here.

THE MISSION

2009-02-02T12:23:00.001-08:00

'The mission' could mean a lot of things on this holy grail of a journey!!!

This is the Catholic Mission accommodation, in Umuahia, where we stayed two nights accompanied by some fulsome cockroaches, which were instantly despatched with the infamous flip flop. I think Amara was more concerned about them than l was, as well as the rust in the shower! So we had to move.

The views were stunning after the urban areas, with open skies, sunsets and fresh air, but the services started rather early in the morning...... we were right above the room concerned!!. I don't do early (like 5 am!) mornings unless essential! Late nights yes!

28.11.08 Umuahia, Abia State

2009-02-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

We hired the same taxi man to take us to where Amara's mother lived in Umuahia, as her uncle was arriving from America and was going to be made a Monsenior in the Catholic church. Amara wanted to be there for the ceremony, but as it happened we left before then as time was short and we had to move on to Nsukka. Incidently the taxi man wanted to marry me...very amusing!!!

Umuahia was more rural, which I liked a lot and the garden was full of plants, but mainly to eat. It had grapefruit, yam, papaya, pumpkin, bananas and a vine that used to grow in the forests but now is cultivated in the homestead for its leaves , which are eaten like salad. Amara's uncle here, the Eze, also had a yam barn (very traditional amongst the Igbo) but it was not full yet as it was just before the harvest, but it was a wonderful yard with amazing light which was filtered through huge banana leaves.

26.11.08 Mumbai Attacks

2009-02-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

Cannot believe how awful this must have been, living through this terrible scene....there seem to be so many dreadful things going on in the world currently!

I must say l feel a bit conspicuous being the only white person around here and everyone calling me 'enocha' everywhere l go. Amara assures me it is meant well, but I feel a bit like a freak show sometimes!

25.11.08 THE MASQUERADER

2009-02-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Went to the Whelan library again today to photocopy a research paper from the University of South Africa which Father Okere had from a conference he attended, which discussed the nature of African art and philosophy.

The car we went in today had a picture of a masquerader but nobody could tell me who or what it represented. In most of the cars they had some form of Christian symbolism though. This fascinated me and would love to find out what this image represents in the traditional culture.....funny though how nobody wanted to have anything to do with it and were not curious about it.

24.11.08 Day Off

2009-02-02T10:17:00.000-08:00

Went to the Father Okere's library he has set up adjoining the Catholic mission in Owerri, this is called the Whelan Research Library. Father Okere has donated all his own books to the library and hopes to enlarge on this from donations. I gave my copy of Herbert Cole's book "Mbari" to him as a gift and a donation (in exchange for his kind hospitality) with which he is going to use to buy a series of books by contemporary African writers or set up the internet here for researchers to use. Either sounds a great idea!

I looked through some of the books on African proverbs in 'One Hundred African Proverbs and Sayings' by Oliver Cromwell Nze Chikwu (1986) - fantastic name Oliver Cromwell!! What have we done! One of the sayings l liked which to me tied in with the Mbari was "If night does something, day knows about it. Every secret many times comes to light" which basically means there is no secret which sooner or later will not be discovered.

There were interesting sculptures in the grounds of this building basically depicting slavery and the Biafran War, which was all around Owerri.

On a lighter note another road sign said 'Better not to be late than delayed" .............thought at first this is a contradiction but its real meaning was better to arrive late than dead.

Photocopied more literature on Mbari which l read and thought about ideas for making artwork from what l had seen, been told, and experienced since l arrived. The skeleton on the stairs was still holding on!!

STAGE ELECTRICS!

2009-02-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

Wonderful spagetti forms in the electrics both here at the house and at the arts council - health and safety awareness day!!!

23.11.08 Day Off - The Blue Chair

2009-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is the ironing area of the house where we all had a go at ironing without a steam iron - I was pretty rubbish at it, as the clothes were always too dry!

This chair however caught my eye as being somewhat beautiful in this context and akin to the blues that other European artists used in their works (Matisse, Yves Klein, Anish Kapoor) and has been a significant pigment used in the religious paintings of the Renaissance.

This place was often a chatting point at night, although you had to be weary of the mosquitos! Fond memories!

22.11.08 Sylvester's Mbari

2009-02-01T13:24:00.000-08:00

Sylvester is another artist carver we visited about Mbari and he put out a lot of this sculptures for us to see whilst he told us the stories and symbolism behind them. His wife too was an artist and a very welcoming lady.

He very kindly gave me an Ofo stick which is a stick that is used to point at someone if they have done wrong....this is taken very seriously and the person could die as the stick is very powerful. However who soever points the stick must be totally free of blame themselves. I felt very privileged and somewhat envied by my fellow travellers!!

Sylvester is one of the sons of the late Sylvster S O A Chukeggu who died at the age of 103 (1903-2006). His brother who was a Professor of History at Port Harcourt University destroyed the Mbari at Nguru, Mbaise - this act of cultural annihilation was supported by the church and the community.

Sylvester is very proud of winning two 'Goldgong' awards first in Addis Abba in Ethiopia and then at the World Festival of Arts in Lagos in 1977. He still carries out commissions.

21.1108 Chat with Dr H.C.Ngumah at Alvan College of Education

2009-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:00

Interview with Dr H.C.Ngumah and Celestine, the Reverend, Amara and myself – a bit chaotic! We asked Dr Ngumah similar questions as before.

According to Dr Ngumah Cole spent 3 years full time researching Mbari and he was initiated into a cult (like other anthropologists here it seems). He is against secret cults. Mbari means sacrifice – offered to Ala who is the central figure. Mbari is the highest form of sacrifice and once built they just leave it (that is why it is a sacrifice). The High Priest (stands for the god), who chooses what goes into the shrine. The High Priest is the go between the god and the people. Ala is accompanied by the god of thunder who can wage war. The family principle is just an ‘interpretation’ by Evans not necessarily true.

Irrespective of the name of the god, Ala is essentially the goddess referred to in incantation – every god is standing on the earth and every god has to relate to the earth. There must be an act to start the Mbari or something wrong eg. crops fail, people die, incest, etc – then have to go to the diviner who tells them how to appease the gods and this may involve the highest sacrifice which is to build an Mbari.

Mbari can be a verb or noun, therefore effects interpretation by the things people tell you. The community owns the children of the Mbari after the Mbari is opened – at this time the community took care of them as they were children of god – BUT now since Christianity the child can no longer be looked after by the community.

Osu = outcast. Sacrificial human beings to the goddess, which can often be an outcast made by the community – with Christianity this is less common. Osu feared because they became untouchable. Now they are intermarrying so this is better, whereas before they could make-love together in hotels but not get married to anyone else. The outcast is labelled this often for little reason and may stem from something someone did wrong in their family ages ago but they are still reprimanded for it.

When asking about binary oppositions he says that Mbari activities are performed at night and the daytime is kept clear. Night-time refers to secrets as it avoids unnecessary exposure from the community. Building in the day time would attract too much curiosity, and the mystery would be taken away from it if seen. People would waste your time by asking too many questions and the workers have to execute the Mbari within a certain period of time.

Part of the initiation process is understanding what is going on with the celebration which an outsider will not know.

Red earth is the major medium but has now shifted to cement because of its durability. Red mud and cement mixed together is often used now but still natural colour of red. Houses can be made of earth but have a smear of cement on the outside for practical reasons. Bullets do not penetrate mud but do go through cement! For the roof corrugated iron is used but also use thatch on top to keep some traditional aspects.

It has to reflect modernism in the materials as well as the subject matter. Obama would be put into this now as it would reflect current affairs. Now it is considered historically as an historical artefact.

He says he takes Coka Cola from the shrine (left there by people as an offering) and people think the god has drunk it!!!

Dr Ngumah wrote an article called ‘Mbari as an Aesthetic Cultural Phenomenon’ in ‘Contemporary Issues in African Art, Culture and Technology’, edited by G.Ogbu Uka (2000). Enugu, Nigeria: Creative Print Publisher ISBN 978-32997-1-9 [Rather a poor academic article as uses no analysis or relativity].

Also ‘The Effects of Psuedo-Born Again Christian Mentality on Art and Culture: Imo State Experience: ‘Ikenga’ and Mbari Art Centre Eke Nguru Mbaise’ as Experience’ by Dr H.C.Ngumah and G.N.Osnagwu. January 2006 ECOJOTE Vol 2, 1 January 2001 p.15-25. ECOJOTE = Eastern Coeasu Journal of Teacher Education. An official publication of the College of Education Academic Staff Union.

‘Styles in Modern Nigerian Art: The Mbaise School Experience’ in ‘Perspectives on Creative Arts Education in Nigeria’ edited by M.Segun Adejemilua with assistance of Babatope K.Oyewole – unpublished PhD thesis. [Descriptive with little analysis].

20.11.08 Modern Mbari

2009-02-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today we met EVANS OSUCHUKWU who assisted Chike Anaikor with his research into Mbari and who is an artist who mainly carves. We visited the Arts Council again to see one of his large panels that he made of the goddess Ezeala (god of the land), the husband Odu and their son and he described to us all the symbolism in it.

Francis went with us and talks a hind leg off a donkey, so at one point l had to sit down on the ground.....but l was soon put right about the 'abomination' l had just committed! - as you must not sit on the ground or you will have to pay a fine to Ala. Blast, that means another chicken, goat or cow will bite the dust!!! I must watch where l put my arse in future!

We also see some other work by Evans, which also have stories attached to them, some of them traditional and others he has interpreted for himself.

19.11.08 Visit to Imo State University

2009-02-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

The morning was spent at the house with Franklin doing his usual yelling at the crazy hour of 5 or 6 am and continuing off and on throughout the day.....often because his mother has "beaten him" and then he runs to Chidima in the kitchen.

I am finding that everything that is ever mentionedabout learning, TV programmes, meeting people all seems to revolve around money and how to get to, how much to get, how to be divisive in getting it. This l can understand, seeing how people live but is getting extremely wearing at times. Everyone here either seems to be ‘trading’ or in business, a lot of the time this seems to include dodgy deals (probably why people get shot from time to time) or go into the clergy. Even Amara has a gun shot wound from an armed robbery where she was staying at university!

Amara was telling me that the Pentacostal church practices were like the prophetic aspect of the traditional religion (diviners), , as people can go to them for advice. You can see how, if the new religions take on some of the roles of the former traditions, they are more likely to be accepted. They may decide to go to both, especially if they do not get what they want from one. Either way there is a feeling of fear and things being beyond their control, which seems to draw them to some religious belief for comfort and security. As l have heard a few times now…every human being is religious its natural - which seems to be the case in this country at least!

In the afternoon we went to Imo State University, in Owerri which was a bit shocking in terms of the shabbly buildings and level of academic achievement. There still seems to be such a dearth of books, even now with all the modern technology that they profess to have the corruption prohibits these importations. Most of the dissertations rely on outdated books which bang on about colonialism perpetuating the whole thing.

We met a PhD student and member of staff Francis Ikwuegbu, who was Head of Sculpture. He was making a study of his own traditional religion in Anambra State. He said his father was in the guild or cult and he himself used to make the deities for it. Only his family can make the deities, no other person can make them, as they have to be made a special way a have the power to kill eg. a man or god can change into a leopard and kill – this is in the bush where these gods/deities exist. If a small deity is stolen the person carrying it will find it will get heavier and heavier to carry, and so he will be caught with it and will be sent mad – this is the taboo.

He has converted to Christianity now as his father did not want him to learn how to kill men. However when he goes back into the community, because of his father and the fact that he knows how to make these deities, he is still feared. This community though usually considers someone who leaves the community as an outsider and will withhold information that they consider secret even to their own people, as the cult feel that the outsider/enemy may use this information against them.

It was interesting to see how he now turns his hand to making images of Christ, like masks, almost a straight exchange from one religious visual means of production to another - and both religious patronage!! Also of note is his positioning of the traditional mask he has made next to the one he made in resin of Christ. These hang in his office.

The bronze casting he did in the department was almost just as miraculous given the equipment and facilities to hand!

18.11.08 The Hunt for Mbari artists

2009-02-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Quite a rare thing Mbari artists now....as not many are being built now and no conservation seems to be being done, although it has been thought about! The making of Mbari is carried on through the family eg.artists – son or daughter follows their father through the generations. Most of the artists who used to do the Mbari are now dead.

When Amara was introduced he told us that 22 girls had become a nun from Amara’s village and said it was a very religious community! In fact Amara has said on numerous occasions that she thought of becoming a nun herself.

Having maxed out on the usual questions, l asked Gogo whether Mbari had an other significance he could tell us about, to which he replied "Every man is religious".

He said Mbari is an art. Ala, who stands for fertility, is in charge of life and represents everything in the community. Mbari is made in order to attract a goddess to give her a home. He calls it a shrine for the goddess to listen to all the communities problems. The python is the messenger to Ala. The mirrors in Ala’s headdress represent the all seeing god, who sees beyond anything, as it is reflective. Amadioha is the husband to Ala the goddess. Then they started putting in Christian ideas. The High Priest commissioned the artists (young men), and brought barren women there to join the young men who often got them pregnant. The ‘Mbari children’ were supposed to have come from the god. They would celebrate this occasion as the god had provided fertility to those women who could not conceive. They had the Mbari festival and then people abandoned the place, until another Mbari was called for and the women needed the children again. Women can go to another man these days if she cannot conceive as there are still a lot of problems with blood groups here, but they still believe it is God that gives the child even if she goes to another man for it. In this case either the husband does not want to know, or the husband chooses one of his friends to do the deed!

The policeman represents the government as a figure in the Mbari. Ofo and Ogu is a philosophy of life.

Red earth is important to build the Mbari with because it is symbolic of the land (Ala). You would not use wood or any other material. The shape of the Mbari is individual to the community. Government and god are all one and once on this ground, or area, you are ruled by this god, whether you are a Christian or not.

Now Mbari is regarded as an artwork. It means art exhibition, cultural expression and gives the example of the Greeks no longer worshiping their gods, and equates it with what has happened here.

His son is a painter, but he is a sculptor. He believes everyone is an artist. He studied at AB University, Zaria and then at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and has made a career in art education and public commissions. His former name was Prince Anyauwu Alban but now goes under the name of 'Gogo'.

Talk with Dr Celestine Chidundu on Mbari

2009-02-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Celestine used to be the Director of the Ministry of Culture at the Arts Council in Owerri and was an ex-student of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London in the 70's.

He defined “Culture” as a continuum like a running stream which carried anything with it pebbles, mosses etc. and some things get left behind. The used to kill children with teeth in the wrong places and twins which were a sign of the gods distaste, but the culture is constantly changing. Contact with Europeans gave them water, and better fertility, a sense of value and power. Now the community only focuses on and respects what money can buy. They have moved towards an emphasis on things that bring status such as a house and flashy cars, so nobody values Mbari anymore.

American researchers today did not give them ‘dashes (or money) for information, so the informants no longer value the research as it does not bring them in any money and therefore do not gain anything personally. So he says they do not rate researchers. In this respect they do not have any reason to keep the Mbari alive. 5 (£25), 6 (£30), or 10,000 naira (£50) was expected for this information! [This is not strictly true as l contacted Herbert Cole personally about this and for his part he certainly reimbursed them for their favours as this is research etiquette, although we cannot speak for everyone].

Not all figures or symbols are devoted to the gods in the Mbari – a lot are purely about everyday life. The government has destroyed the Mbari tradition and actually bulldozed one down, as it is considered pagan.

If someone has done an abomination in the eyes of the god, the corpse has to be brought back to the Mbari (not buried), other wise the god will kill another person in the family. He saw this recently. The power of this in the psychy is so strong the other members of the family may die because of their belief in the power of the god eg. Juju.

Some Mbari are not attached to a god but can be dedicated to a beautiful Igbo woman, or a young girl, who is a virgin.

The morality behind Mbari is the reason it still exists not necessarily the gods. The traditional morals of the people are the things that matter! We must not destroy what we African have. White people said Mbari was pagan and did not understand the traditional ways. White people saw it the way they wanted to and therefore misinterpreted it.

[This might also have been in part due to the Igbo language, where the spelling of a word although being spelt in one way could be pronounced in three different ways. Therefore a word could have three entirely different meanings – hence the missionaries often mis-represented the meanings of things, but also interpreted things through their own eyes in keeping with their expectations, religious or cultural indoctrination of the time, or just ill informed!]

He got involved in the Ahjoku lectures when he came back from SOAS in 1977, after studying there in 1976. This initiative wanted to resurrect the Igbo identity and culture. Adjoku means New Yam Festival, which celebrates a good harvest. He equates it with an intellectual harvest, as the people gain from this ‘fruit of knowledge’, in the past a fertility rite. People understood the traditional ways even if they did not go to school, which Mbari gave them. Red earth for building the Mbari is used just because it is available.

Since he has left the Ministry of Culture he is concentrating on setting up a dispensary and charity work with the homeless, so any donations or assistance would be gratefully received. His contact details are: Dr Celestine Chibundu, c/o Mrs Augustina Chibunda, Federal Medical Centre, PO Box 1010, Owerri, Imo State. T: 35406019 / 08035406019 and his own 08032761628 email Ikechukwuchbundu@yahoo.com

Celestine has been to Rome recently and said that he noticed his shoes were so clean that he could have sold them when he got back!! Unlike here where they get worn out by the dust. He liked the European way of life with more order and less corruption, etc. but he felt that Nigeria was where he belonged and wants to do a lot of charity work for the poor – hence his request for the dispensary and bore hole, etc.

Tomorrow we are supposed to meet an artist, whose name is Gogo, involved with Mbari. He lives near where Celestine and would perhaps complete the picture for the research (having interviewed the high priests and a diviner but not any artists yet connected with it).

17.11.08 Market Place at Umuebi, Eziama

2009-02-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

The god associated with this market is Ala on the market day of Nkwo corresponding with the same day of the Igbo week. The god, who precides over the market on this day, would punish you if you do not abide by the rules of the market place, which are that no one should fight in the market, steal, make no arrests or take photographs without their knowledge. The god in charge of the market can vary from day to day – there being 4 market days and 8 days to the Igbo week.

Native doctors and diviners tell their clients to go and get various ‘medicines’ consisting of roots, powders, soils, chalks, fish, and other sundries items from the market. The boy selling these items, Mr Kelechi Ekeh learnt it as a trade, but does not know the full use of them. He acts like a chemist or shop, as the native doctors just tell him to get in certain items.

Some of these are as follows:

1 Fish ‘MKPAKA’ – used for pain relief, especially for the legs, and also for pregnant women in labour, to hasten delivery. (look like a circle of dried catfish around a stick)

2 Gun powder – used for shooting gun at funerals to communicate this fact to the community (metallic grains)

3 BTS –for stomach ache. Used by dropping it into water or spirit and drinking it.

4 Hair dye – turns hair black – grind it in water and turns black (looks like white crystals)

5 Dry leaves ‘ACHARA’ – drink it and mix it with roots and spirit to cure stomach ache (bunch of long, maroon tinted stems)

6 Roots (OJOBO spice) ‘UHIOKIRIHIO’ – herbal to keep the water fresh (flavours the water) – heaped up pieces of bark and roots stick like fibres. ‘Ofor’ stick used mostly for the stomach.

7 ‘NZU’ (White chalk) calabash chalk used in Mbari and for use in scoring the funds/money given to the church eg. checking how many contributions they make per year. Also used by diviners to score 4 lines on the ground before divination, and put at the corners of his eyes for clairvoyant properties ‘the shining’ – see photos of diviner.

8 Red mud – for staining – mixed with other things to create medicines for the legs and can mix with fish.

9 ‘ORI’ shea butter – used as balm for dislocation (lubricant or fat)

10 Beans ‘EKWURU’ used for rheumatism and mixed with spirit and rub on (carbonic) – black similar shape to broad beans)

11 Eye liner – kohl, which cleanses the eyes of babies. (Silver containers).

12 AGGRY GERMAN – mix with water and drink – used for stomach (in glass bottles)

13 Garlic – used for the heart and liver

14 Ginger – pepper soap but also for throat infection (root)

15 ‘AKAOGWU’ used for Malaria and mixed with a spirit to drink (bundle of beige stems tied together)

16 UDA – used for a nursing mother and detoxing the womb – aroma good and used in cooking too. (small string of black beans)

17 Palm Wine used for encouraging milk in the breasts when breast feeding – ‘it is the yeast in it’.

18 Lump of what looks like a ball of dry grey clay but is roots pounded together – used for cough medicine.

19 ‘URIANYA’ - Used for eye infections and ground.

20 ALUM – used to wash snails to get rid of the slime (white cubes in clingfilm – look like moth balls stuff)

21 ‘ODO’ - used by the diviner (see previous notes) Orange crumbly stuff – used to heal ear piercing so that it will not bleed. Attracts favours where you rub it.

'George' cloth is for sale in the market too, and it is a cloth that the Igbo use on special occasions, and used at death signals that all burial rites have been done. This is a coloured, checked cloth made of cotton.

16.11.08 Amara and Chidima go to Church

2009-02-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

I read, make notes, play with Franklin and enjoy the garden and the sunshine.

15.11.08 Day Off

2009-02-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Playing around with the video camera.

Haven't seen the turkey today....only a month to Christmas!

SITE 6 Soldier, Soldier!

2009-02-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

Site 6

AUSTIN OKECHUKWU EKEH (Informant and High Priest), whose title is also EZE ALA NNORIE (a very aggressive man who has been a soldier for years) - think this bloke is on something and notice he cannot wait to get the booze out and there are remains of chickens in the corner of this concrete shrine.

EKWENAARA is the name of the god here. Ekwe-Na-Aro is the traditional shrine at Umvediabali Nnorie, Ngor-Okpala LGA. The god of Nnorie oversees 8 villages. This spirit has 29 children. You have to have a lot of money and a lot of ‘he’ goats, fowls, cows, as it is a hungry god.

No Mbari exists here but he informs us that a new one is going to be built shortly and he wants to revive the whole tradition, including the rituals associated with it.

The Mbari celebrates wealth, so it is the centre for the god. He tells us that there is a village under the last Mbari a buried city - maybe he has been reading too many Sci-fi novels!!! People put dollars/money on the ground for the god.

He went to get one of the figures from where the Mbari once was using a car to go and get it – it turned out to be a cement statue of a diviner using a cup which looked to us not very authentic. He would not let us go and see where he was getting this from.

After calming down a bit he tells us he feels better from asthema since he came back to the village – he feels less pressure. This is his mother’s place though, his father died when he was 4 years old, so really he is really an outsider, according to Amara and Rev’s impression, therefore a bit of a fake. [I felt a bit sorry for him at this stage, as he obviously seemed a bit disturbed and neurotic, one might assume as a result of things he had to do or had seen in the army, as well as his father dying when he was very young].

The Chief Priest discusses who is going to be the master artist, by going into seclusion for 8 days, and to decide who the other artists are going to be. He will go without food during this time so that he sees/told by the god what to do. In 1965 an Mbari was made – his father’s Mbari. Artists do not have free-reign to do what they want – one master artist, chief priest performs a sacrifice for the artist and they will then see the way it is (what to make). The dead go to the market place and appear as normal people but they can pester people at the market to go to a diviner to sort their problems out.

Trees signify different messages – angels/messengers in the shrine. There was gold, brass, and silver to build this last Mbari – but the ones that were built out of mud are made by the poor! The land was sold to a white man, so all these metal plates have been destroyed! He takes some snuff. People can only do evil under the church but not under the traditional religion.... the Igbo cannot be bad to other people....he has given up being bad! He liberates people from evil spirits, but he is not a herbalist. He comes form Lagos (and the old man next to him, his sidekick) – seems like a bit of a racket to extort and bully people out of money!

Ofo – tree that grows in gods compound in heaven, which symbolises truth. Ogirishi – which is everlasting, does not rot, perennial – used for marking boundaries. Tampering with boundaries is an abomination. Ukpo and Icheku are also boundary markers as they are hardy and do not die.

The Ofo is a sacred tree in Igboland, which means truth and used for swearing or making oaths and can cause instant killing if anyone is playing any monkey business. [It is used like swearing on the bible according to father Okere]

The police blocks on the way home tonight were rather menacing. They stopped us and looked inside with torches as the taxi driver put on his internal light for the police to see inside. There were also fires burning at these blockages which l feared would ignite someone’s leaky petrol tank.... even ours as we all queued up and the seat belts of course don't not work. The traffic was as usual all over the road and night fall with the pot holes is always particularly interesting! Joy! Thank God or god we got back in one piece with all belongings!

Talisman, Trinkets and Charms

2009-02-01T06:04:00.001-08:00

Inside the Fox's Den

2009-02-01T05:54:00.001-08:00

Sacrifice

2009-02-01T05:44:00.000-08:00

Jemima Puddle Duck and the DIVINER

2009-02-01T04:38:00.000-08:00

OGBONNA UKAEGBU (Herbalist and Diviner)

Mgbala Ohekelem (location)

Before we were party to the performance we were given the chance to see Ogbonna in his chiefs' regalia which he proudly displayed on his 'throne'. He was a very friendly man - this seems to have a resonance with Jemima Puddle Duck!

He was a bit of a character and quite a good performance artist! This was quite a highlight during the field work, although had a 'darkside'. Think the diviner was one of the most interesting places we went to today – however it was horrible to see the caged dogs which Father Okere said may have been put there for imminent sacrifice – 2 dogs, 1 cock, and 3 hens. There were skulls above this big shed and then we went though it into the central compound area where he had his hut with various paraphernalia in it.

He is a herbalist and says he cures madness. He gets the herbs from the bush, some from local bushes and some from the Evil forest. He has to swallow a live heart of a ram in order to become a herbalist! Is this physically possible l ask myself?

He showed us what he does and told us about it as he went alone. The Reverend asked him a question and Amarachi would not go into the hut. A white person can become a herbalist and he has initiated three whites from Jos and Kaduna.

First the customer has to put money on the ground, how much depends on what it is you want to know or sort out. He sits on a goat skin with a chimpanzee skull under his left knee. The Chimpanzee skull confers influence and status because it is rare. Following this he puts 4 chalk lines on the ground. He then puts the chalk at the corners of his eyes which represents ‘the shining’ and gives him the powers to see beyond the physical world. Then he bangs a stick on a tortoise shell to invoke the ancestors, and then he shakes the rattle, (‘Ebe’ name of the rattle). Then to do a reading he continues rattling and then when he stops he puts his cupped hand into a cup of trinkets (beads, bells teeth, pieces of copper, cowie shells, coins etc) and from the patterns he tells you your destiny or answer to a question.

This hut has a secret chamber covered with a cloth to the entrance, which is used for more serious matters where he talks to the oracle for guidance. He would not say what was in there... again secret. The sacrifices were also made outside the hut where you could see the remains of lot of feathers and ash.

Ofo and Ogu are very important to the traditional religion and from talking to people previously it seems it can take many forms, but is basically used in carrying out justice and judgement. He has 3 Ofo 1) his own 2) one of his father’s and 3) his grandfather’s – this comes out once a year in January to celebrated the New Year (New Yam Festival). The sacrifices made are are 1 ram, 1 cock, 1 dog (he), and bottle of hot drink (strong spirit), Kola nuts, and palm wine and alligator pepper. He points the Ofo and Ogu at a person to bless them, or pass judgement on them using his left hand. The patina that looks like tar is blood from the sacrifices and the contents are kept secret!....I asked!

The bell is used to bring in the next customer, but he also used it in this ritual of divination after an incantation. He had two guinea fowl feathers tied together to make a charm, which was used to bless a child. ‘Odo’ is the name of the chalk which brings good luck when rubbed on the face. This is orange in colour and gathered from a stream (light weight and crumbly). He goes to all the shrines and has to make sacrifices – 1 hen, 1 cock, and all the other things, and also over a period of time goes to markets to gain numerous charms for his pot which have to be given to him by another diviner which also builds his reputation.

His blessing to me was for a safe journey which he did by blowing on my two hands, with which you then touch your forehead and then chest.

The pile of tin boxes contained ofo and ogu of Christians that do not want to take them back to their house, so they are kept there in secret from their family. He opened one and told me l could only touch a woman's ofo! 'Ofo' is a special wood and used in the form of a stick. In fact l thought it was a dried up penis of something, which the Diviner thought was very funny!!! - bang goes that stereotype!!! Ofo and Ogu are a form of justice and fairness which is a very important part of Igbo traditional religious practice.

He has a weird cement figure in army uniform strung with hand grenades at the entrance to his gate - the Reverend seemed to think this was to warn people to beware!

14.11.08 SITE 5

2009-02-01T02:55:00.000-08:00

Site 5

ROMANUS NWEKE (Informant) - his father's name was NWEKE UDEE (who was supposed to have been 180 years old when he died!)

His brothers are in the photo Christian Njoku (youngest) and Deacon of the Church and Chuawuei Ogualiri (his other brother) - not sure whether the use of 'brother' is here used as a euphemism as their surnames do not seem to correspond.

Umudim Ohekelim (place)

The goddess here was AlaUmudim. They said that this Mbari is no longer there and the bush is too thick to enter, and may be bees there and there may even be buildings on this land now (as often the land no longer retains its sacred status), so cannot go and see where it might have been.

This location is a place that has a strong Christian community. The High Priest died last December and his first son did not want to take it on. The Rev is known by the family so this may effect the research at this site – the person we met looked cagey about talking about he Mbari – l warned the Rev of this and how it may effect the results so asked him to take care with the introduction to try and gain a more honest response.

The tomb to Nweke Udee was made at the entrance to the road and had a sign up to commemorate his death at the age of 180 years old – slight exaggeration here or a slight miscalculation!!! They had celebrated with Mbari five times in his life time. It was one of his sons who took on the Mbari as High priest which was always by divine inheritance. Ajunnwa Nweke (uncle to Romanus) built only one, but started the second one but did not finish it because he died – nothing is left now.

The family moved to another community after 7 years – celebrated Mbari in the new place. After 25 years they moved again to another place – because the god tells you to go and tells you the site. The god tells you who should attend the Mbari celebrations and if someone does not come and has been invited, the god will pester him until he does, but if he is ill and does not want to come because of this, he will get better and so is still made to come. The god will also chase someone away that is not supposed to be there. (Selective participants).

The people making the Mbari were locked up for 6-12 months and excluded from the rest of the community. The Ngbe (people that build the Mbari) rotate four days inside the Mbari and then go out for four days to fetch food and materials but must not be seen as they are considered to be like the god’s messengers, but most people are inside permanently. When they want to collect materials for the Mbari the rest of the community have to stay indoors, so that they do not see the Ngbe come and go. Men and woman have to be chosen by the god to build the Mbari house and can be from another village (some married as well as single). In Umuogbe (village) bamboo as well as palm fronds for roofing have to be brought to the Mbari. Sacrifices are done at the shrine to give thanks for their good fortune. The High Priest is married to the goddess. The Igbo are not moving so often now with the change of life-style. White people brought this change through their Christian religion, employment, education and now live closer to the road to access these amenities more easily. The Igbo embrace change and advancement even to the cost of some traditions. Now there is no god to dictate about moving.

Sacred grounds cannot be kept in tact as developers make roads right through them, so some choices have to be made by the community. ‘Maba’ = sacred ground that belongs to the god, which is a former site of the shrine because the goddess once lived there. Present site of shrine is not sacred, because they believe in Christianity. The house where we talked to this man had stickers and posters to Jehovah, Christ and Roman Catholicism!

The Mbari has to be built like a house (4 corners). The outside walls are decorated as a house used to be. He never went into the inner chamber of the Mbari, so could not say what was inside. He was fearful of it because it was believed the god was in there – afraid of the unknown – but the High priest goes in there.

It is built with red earth and kneaded, plus they got some clay material to mix with it to bind it. This is often obtained from a cave and the clay from the river. It is built using termite earth. The secret chamber of the queen termite is like the chamber of the Mbari – other termites not allowed inside.

Two reasons for using natural materials and/or synthetic materials like cement were 1) Mbari is purely natural to us (and therefore using a natural material like mud/clay is symbolic 2) cement – could be made of this now as they do not believe in Mbari now. Rev: ‘Do you want to see the red mud” means do you want to die? (or be buried!) Dying is equated to the red mud and is therefore respected and feared as it has consequences of sacredness, as well as symbolic value.

Decoration is just decoration, and are just in the imagination of the artist as a reflection of the society.

Even if they do not believe in the god often people still go to a diviner, which seems embedded in the society, which was born out by the Reverend and as we shall see at the diviner coming next!

13.11.08 Day Off

2009-01-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

Languished around the garden reading - very pleasant and hot!

12.11.08 SITE FOUR - more images

2009-01-31T13:54:00.000-08:00

12.11.08 SITE FOUR

2009-01-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

As well as setting out to find particular Mbaris in the areas that Herbert Cole mentioned, we sometimes came across one or two by chance by the roadside, which was exciting, but we dare not get out and explore without permission and gift exchange, which is reasonable but rather killed the moment.

SITE 4
(Plate 44 in Cole)
AZUONWU EKEH (High Priest)/ATTANASSIUS EKEH (his younger brother and main informant here)
UMUGOT (Village), ORITSHEZE in NGOR-EKPAL LGA.

The goddess of this community that owns the Mbari is Alaochala (this is linked to the goddess Ala).

Azuonwu Ekeh (the High Priest here) clears his throat, which invokes the people to listen and is a signal to the gods that an elder wants to pray. Women must be served Kola nut and not take it themselves from the plate.

The initial stages of Mbari is when you start seeing strange things. When you see a strange animal it is the god and so you must go to the diviner to see what to do. Then after consultation and confirmation from the diviner you need to tell the people to celebrate Mbari to avoid the disasters or illness.

Red earth is pounded with water to get a certain quality, you get this from a cave. This was mixed with a material from the market that no longer exists (sand) – like a gum or glue that binds the earth together. A big termite which is found in a cave and is really poisonous is put in "the bowl of water and boil it until it turns yellow" then it "becomes very sticky and gums faster and gives some spiritual quality and so this is mixed with the mud". This adds durability and strength. You also have to struggle to get the material and that is also why the Mbari takes so long to build.

This man AZUONWU EKEH is a reincarnation of a person before who built the Mbari – therefore he was installed – so he had to follow the rules of being a High priest. He is the husband of the goddess now, but he was married in a church and wears a wedding ring. The other man, ATTANASSIUS EKEH his brother, when carrying out the Kola Nut prayer also ended by saying “through Christ”, so here again is this hybrid concept of the two religions. However he tends to err on the traditional side.

In his past life, Azuonwu was also the High Priest of Ala, so he has to carry on from where he left off. The benefit that Ala gives is protection to the community. This goddess is also the protector of the land.

When the church came here a lot of people died, as they ignored Alaochala. The younger generation no longer observe the customs of the people and the goddess never liked this eg. men going off with women all over the place, interrupting an elder, etc. The spirit will choose his successor as High Priest, and the person will hear a knock on their door and disturbs him until he has to go to the diviner. These two men are senior brothers: ATTANASSIUS EKEH is an older brother of the High Priest here. He likes this religion because it has more answers.

This Mbari was made before the Civil War of 1967, as it was opened in 1960. [To calculate dates, often people here as well as in Kenya, will equate events or natural phenomena such as eclipses with specific times].

The messengers here were the Eagle and the Python. The Python was living there in the shrine. It took one and a half years to build and they had “thousands” of women to make this ! Maybe 500! Most women have left for the city so there would have been more women around then. [Although l think there was a slight exaggeration here, as we will find out later with the person who was supposed to have lived for 180 years! Whoops, rather a rough calculation here!]

Amara said how afraid the High Priest was when we went on to see this Mbari. He said he actually saw a python in the central chamber and that Amara must not go in and was visibly shaking. Amara actually believed him, l was around the back at the time!

Cross roads are also important places for sacrifice as this is believed to be where spirits pass at night, and sacrifice usually happens at night.

It transpired that the High priest from this site also had leprosy! Great! Just what l wanted! - but apparently it is not that catching!!

Gave the other High Priest in the morning stomach tablets and of course he wanted more!!! – however at 105 who could blame him!

It seems as if both Amara (Catholic) and Rev Ngozi (Protestant) in spite of their protestations, still seem a bit confused about the Christian and traditional religions (as Mayo was saying previously!). When Amara was talking to Chidima and her friend tonight (who came from the village we have just been to) she was telling them about believing that the devil can actually conjure up strange beasts eg. a large bird like a knife and that such birds really exist. She also believed the old testament had parallels to the African Igbo traditions. Not being a very religious person myself l left them to argue it all out.

Hairy trip back in the taxi as usual! The taxi man carries the top of a small swing bin on the dash which he is supposed to have ‘by order’ of the government in his car but it does not have the bottom to it…apparently it does not fit in the car. Police can demand money from him if he has not got this in his car!

On the way to the sites today, at a roundabout, we had a young policeman with a riffle squeeze himself into the front seat of the taxi in a threatening manner. He told the driver to drive on and was asking the Rev for money, but miraculously the Rev managed to get rid of him! Scary moment though as they all have guns.

Trying to get the research a bit more consistent without offending anyone!

TERMITES

2009-01-31T11:51:00.000-08:00

Termites are an important element of the Mbari building as the earth, which is manipulated by the termite and it secretions, is supposed to be spiritual, as well as being more malleable - here in the field l heard a story about how they had to dig deep into the nest to get the queen termite and it was here that the earth was the most spiritual and easily moulded.

In Kenya it was also believed that the termite mounds were where the ancestors lived. Also one of the artists at the National Museum of Kenya (Peter, who helped me construct my panels for the 'Crossing Boundaries' exhibition) said that termite earth was more pliable because the termites mixed their saliva with the earth.

I am also fascinated by the patterns that termites make in wood and would like to experiment with some in my work. It is also amazing how much destruction they cause structurally which makes me think of the fragile element of some of my work, which often for me symbolises the fragility of life, which l depict as precarious balance, disintegration, holes, cracks, mould, and surface erosion.

12.11.08 SITE THREE - Shrine of sacrifices

2009-01-31T11:42:00.000-08:00

This is where any sacrifice that needs to be made is done, note the three pots which are significant likewise the selection of trees. The piece of wood balanced between the trees above the pots is also a barrier that cannot be crossed or taken down except by someone in authority to do so...usually the High Priest.

The central chamber of the Mbaris is most potent and where the god is supposed to linger. Only the High Priest is allowed to enter here.

12.11.08 SITE THREE - Clement in High Priest regalia

2009-01-31T11:35:00.001-08:00

12.11.08 SITE THREE - more images of the Mbari

2009-01-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

12.11.08 SITE THREE

2009-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

After the exchange of gifts we go off to see the Mbari.

12.11.08 SITE 3

2009-01-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

Site 3 (Plate 48 in Cole)
CLEMENT OPARA (Informant)
Umunan, in Imerienwe

The goddess of this Mbari is Uramarukwa who is a river goddess. She protects people from evil in this village. Built before 1947 might be late 30’s. Between 1929 when the women rioted and before 1941 before the second World War.

He inherited the Mbari from his father, OPARABCHA EKEODA.

Materials: The red earth has come from far and is symbolic, in that its importance is really that it is a natural material and that cement is an invention not nature - so that even if they had cement it would still be made of earth. It symbolises the Igbo’s relationship to the earth. It shows an identity.

Kola nut is given to us in exchange for our gift (schnapps and money). He blessed the Kola nut by saying a prayer over it in Igbo as ‘the Kola nut does not hear English’ – so he will only speak Igbo. The Kola nut is then split into the lobes and handed around. The Kola nut tastes very bitter which makes your tongue curl up and dry, but not objectionable. In fact it is supposed to contain caffeine - coals to Newcastle for me!! The blessing finished with and 'through Christ our Lord”, so although an Igbo traditional prayer, here there seems to be some confusion between the two religions or hybridisation of beliefs.

The photo on the wall behind Clement is a picture of his father who built the Mbari. Clement is the High Priest, and his father before him, and this is his identity. If asked to choose between the religions he would choose Mbari. His first son would inherit it this responsibility. If he did not want to do it, then the next son would do it.

The caretaker(s) can only do what they are told by the High Priest – three caretakers here – who help do the sacrifices (he takes snuff on his tongue at this point). The High Priest is the richest man in the community and this is why the church does not want Mbari to exist – which would mean otherwise that the church would get rich instead! The community still consults the shrine because it still protects them. Cannot tell us some of the secrets eg. when asked about regalia worn during this process – perhaps to keep some mystique - although he dressed up for us on our return from the Mbari. As a High Priest he cannot marry any woman that is not of royal blood.

His walking stick shows his standing in the community – however the stick has several crosses on it and the rosary aluminium pendants also stuck to it. He saw it in the market, liked it and bought it but did not have it commissioned – this explains the Christian symbolism on it!!!

The High Priest commissions the Mbari. The High priest goes to the diviner to ask for an Mbari and then he informs the community to build it. He is the oldest man in this community over 100 years of age. He was born in 1903 (105 years old now). He was married to his first wife when this Mbari was built. He had three wives.

Every god has sub-gods so these have to be represented. The artist is chosen for his skill in the community. A group of artists can be commissioned from another place to build an Mbari if their 'talents' are considered worthy.

Amarachi said the shrine is called “where the ‘face’ of Ala is” therefore where the god actually is. [Often this is in the central chamber]

If there is a resemblance to someone in the figure of the god nothing would happen to that person (unlike at the other sites who said the opposite). The shrine where there are sacrifices is near this Mbari, it must be in the same place or near.

The number one Prayer Drink!

2009-01-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

Before we went out into the field to visit the various Mbari houses we had to stock up on alcohol as a gift for the informants which was a schnapps called Seaman's, the number one prayer drink....we also had to give them an 'Envelope' ....which contained money on the whole 2000 naire the equivalent of £10, but this varied and was sometimes more if it was felt necessary. Here l was guided by the Reverend (especially when we visited his parish) and Amara. When you think about it is is a bit weird some stranger turning up to your house to ask you questions from our point of view!!!

In the wine shop where we got the schnapps I saw these bottles shaped like riffles! I wonder who these were popular with....fancy turning up to a party holding one of these!!!

Amara letting her hair down!

2009-01-31T08:56:00.001-08:00

11.11.08 The Market Place from the 'Hide'

2009-01-31T08:20:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of the day we went to the market. I was told by Amara to stay in the car whilst she and Chidima went to get the things, including bottled water (tons of it!), yam, cassava, beans, dried fish, spinach-like (tasting) leaves, tomatoes, onions, plantains, rice, OMO and other cleaning materials, tea (mainly for my benefit!!!), etc. The taxi acted like a 'hide' from which it was relatively easy to take photos with the small digital camera.

Everywhere there were signs daubed onto house walls saying 'This house is not for sale' which seemed weird to me. Apparently it was to stop scams whereby someone could come up and show someone a house, sell it to them and then they would find that it had already been sold to someone else! Bizarre....I still could not quite get my head round it.

Tonight Amara eat this clay ball which apparently has lead in it. She said it was slightly addictive and it smelt slightly of menthol or herbal. She did not say what effect it had on her other than it was pleasant to take. Maybe relaxing?? It was the size of a walnut and had white clay inside a rather brown exterior. She later told me that it could become a bit addictive!!!

11.11.08 SITE TWO - more images

2009-01-31T08:13:00.001-08:00

11.11.08 SITE TWO

2009-01-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

SITE TWO (Plate 50 in Skip Cole’s book on ‘Mbari’)

INNOCENT CHIAGOROM (Informant)
Ulakwo, Obube, Owerri, North LGA, Imo State

OGAZI CHIAGOROM (brother or uncle) was the last keeper of this Mbari but nobody in charge of this Mbari at present, after Christmas the community will appoint another High Priest/keeper. Father built it to the god of Thunder Amodioha who is god of the village, in Ulakwo. There were barren women here so consulted the god to bring them children – the god Amodioha) granted this and therefore an Mbari was built to celebrate. This Mbari was built in 1920.

The plates incorporated into the walls of the Mbari were for decoration but also offerings to the gods, but because of the church they do not practice this. However they still revere the python but secretly. Catholic church recommended that they just use the Mbari for relaxing but people use it at night for rituals still and visit it.

ANTONY ONYEACHUGBULAM OGAZI (who is supposed to inherit it) is a traditionalist and will not go to church. The god will pick the person to be the High Priest (or keeper). Although MICHAEL UCHE OGAZI (his brother also in the photograph) said that his father said he should be the keeper of this Mbari.

The father (CYPRIEL OGAZI to sons Antony and Michael above) died two years ago and the god is supposed to choose the successor - this was repeated several times! Michael currently ‘feeds’ the god and there is a shrine near this Mbari. Every year the AJU Festival or New Yam Festival is celebrated on the 1st.October – giving thanks for the harvest and the good harvests to come – this is still practiced.

It does not harm anyone to rejuvenate or conserve the Mbari, as the god of Thunder is benevolent. The community built this one. In reference to using either cement or earth, they said it did not matter which it is made of, although (according to Innocent, the first informant here who was Cypriel Ogazi’s brother’s son) there was a preference for earth because of the look but they cannot get the termite mud anymore, or as easily. Shape and decoration is more important than the material. Colonial policeman and white colonial magistrates were part of this Mbari at one time but no longer in existence. The sun (sky) and moon were depicted here too as were day and night (the binary elements). The symbols are just gods creation – clock (time), fabric, two gongs. The ram, sheep or cow are sacrifices used here.

They would not replace the figures with contemporary people if it were to be restored, they want to preserve it with the original figures. [This would not in past times have been in keeping with the Mbari philosophy though!] The separate shrine is used for sacrifice and the elders have to dress up and play the flute. This shrine is adjacent to the Mbari house – the smaller hut (now collapsed) is used to make the sacrifices in.

The Rev.Ngozi confessed in the car that he knows more about the Mbari than he has at first admitted to – he seems to have gained confidence as his interest has grown in this – he knew about the dog killing. He re-confirmed that he thought this system of ‘cause and effect’ was much more just, as punishment was inevitable if you were a criminal or bad in some way – you would be visited by a messenger (eg. lioness, python behaving in an odd manner and then you would have to go to the diviner who would advise you to do certain things (sacrifice) in order to appease the god.

Rev. said that a lot more people were getting killed these days in spite of talking about God all the time – he still maintains it is because Christianity resolves the ‘sin’ without any penalty or recompense.

Amarachi, Chidima and I went to get the groceries from the market in Owerri for the household - one way of saying thank you to your guest. Chidima was Father Okere's niece who stayed with him and looked after the domestic duties of the house.

SITE ONE

2009-01-31T07:13:00.000-08:00

11.11.08 The Real Deal!

2009-01-31T05:07:00.000-08:00

Had to go to the Ministry of Arts and Culture again to submit the letter we wrote yesterday – seeking permission to do the study / survey. This was quite chaotic as usual and things taking more time, more people to meet and greet, and write letters too! Half the time l don’t know what is going on as a lot is said in Igbo and Amara edits out a lot of the chat. We seemed to trail around from office to office [ This was all before we got to take the photos!]

Very humid again today sweat just pouring off.

The interviews methologically speaking were semi structured interviews, however at times due to Amara and the Reverend not being versed in academic research became a bit chaotic at times with some digression and loss of focus, due to too many people chatting at the same time, and amongst themselves in Igbo, which was not translated. So l had to steer the questions back again to gain some parity between sites and informants.

Briefly the questions asked were concerning the concepts of Mbari, the materials and processes used including the rituals, the symbolism, use of colour and shape and different elements included, how they perceived Mbari today, how outside influences effected Mbari, and why people still consulted a diviner even if they no longer practiced the Mbari tradition, if this was the case.

In most cases the informant was the High Priest in charge of the Mbari, a relative of one or a person who was likely to become the custodian in some shape or form. We later visited a diviner and some artists who had a direct relationship to Mbari making.

SITE ONE
NZE AZUOMA ANYANWY (Informant)
Ndiama, Ulakwo (Village and town)
Owerri, North LGA, Imo State.

Obiala is the goddess of the community in this particular village in Ulakwo.

The Mbari was built by the informant’s father, Chief Anyanwu Opara. The Obiala people from Ulakwu, migrated from Mbaise to Ulakwo, but they originally came from Inyogugu village. This is the third Mbari built in honour to the god Obiala in this area – who helped people travel safely and settle here peacefully. There was a central figure and four messengers. It was built in 1956 but he built it on his own [which was unusual] with a wall all around it [which was usual]. He said the community did not help built it because he made it to last (otherwise it would not have lasted). In 1962 it was exposed and the celebration festivities began. The servants or messengers are called Nwaujemgbe. The lioness acted as protection and as a messenger, and the python was a very important element as a messenger (symbolised by the coil on the post). If you kill or eat a python then you must give it a human funeral as if it is an old man, with all the necessary rites– this latter event happened in 2004 with a python that was wrongly killed and eaten (these snakes are considered sacred).

Bowls set into the walls were used for decoration but they used china or enamel because it lasts longer. They do not use plastic as it changes colour.

They beautified the wall with yellow ochre/sienna/white pigments which were natural elements originally - they did not allude to anything symbolic here in the use of colour. When asked about preference for red earth or cement in the construction they said that cement was not natural, but gave no reasons other than this. Mbari he said was still in existence and the New Yam festival is still celebrated and yet people still go the church! He is Catholic but still adheres to the traditional religion and this has only changed because of Western religion. Women are always waiting to get married and now want a certificate – but he said his wife also wanted a church wedding for this reason, but the traditional practices will never die away because it is their history.

Mbari is more Christian now- it has altered and become hybridised eg. Yam festival is the blessing of the Yam harvest and those harvests to come. Mbari is not a religion (and yet this is contradicted later on!) Mbari is 'fetish'. Now they believe the gods to be their own Christ.

Community never wanted it to die therefore they still practice it. The first son is supposed to take it [the religious duties of the Mbari] on – community may make him take it on, even if he is working on some other job eg.engineer.

The two plates are for offerings put in front of the god – the reason for the plates is that these are offerings/food.

Termite mud is used. As regards the binary oppositions he identified the secret rituals connected with night and day, and female and male activities. Sacrifices were done at night here in the 1960’s. There are three pots or calabashes which are used in the shrine, where sacrifices are made, these are called Chi, Eke and Uwaoma (as previously mentioned The god, the wife and the son). Told the story of an old man who died and two dogs were killed for him at night and two dogs in the afternoon as demanded by the father before death – how many dogs depends on the dead person’s status. This was done to make the man brave (dogs are perceived to be brave and intelligent) and possibly in this case literate – therefore reincarnated with these abilities – believes his son is the father reincarnated, as he is now literate. At death you often slaughter 3-4 'he' goats, 1 fowl, 1 hen and 1 cow. Left or right hand must be held down (associations with Ikenga) and a sacrifice has to be made, but only for a great man. Three reasons for the sacrifices are 1) bring hand down 2) strengthens his heart or character and 3) attracts favours, when he is reincarnated.

The shape of the Mbari must be square with four corners. The central space is always sacred – even the High Priest fears going in there. People at the top of this Mbari were called Ndiocha Ulonely (Clerks) or spies – keeping watch for strangers. Preparation for the year in terms of harvesting runs as follows:-Farming (sowing the tubers or seeds/peace), rest period (and a time of Ofo and Ogu or cleansing/purification), harvest (actively collecting in the produce and lastly peace ( period of thanksgiving and rest). This is the pattern of the year to ensure a good harvest or celebrate one. Nze Azuoma Anyanwy had a mobile phone as everybody seems to have here even in remoter places! - rather an odd juxtaposition when their daily living seemed to be quite basic, but obviously a useful tool for communicating beyond the village, for trading purposes and speeding up communication with relatives working further afield.

He said that the python still lives in this Mbari.

10.11.08 Last of the badly modelled replicas Mbari (2)

2009-01-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

The woman on top of the chamber is the protector or figure that keeps watch for enemies coming towards the Mbari (with leopard or lioness her messenger). The woman is made not to resemble one of the community facially on purpose, as otherwise it is said that that person would die.

Sacred cow – belongs to the community, but here belongs to Ala, the spirit/goddess of this Mbari.

Having seen how figures can be modeled out of cement at the University of Nigeria, these figures look as if they were made by self-taught artists, which of course would have been the case in the villages where Mbari were made. The importance and essence of the figures was in the symbolism and what they represented, rather than the formal qualities of the modeling which must be remembered when looking at them. This is probably where our two sensibilities clash between East and West - food for thought!

10.11.08 Mbari (2)

2009-01-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Igwekala (spirit) with dog – is a messenger from the gods who used the dog as an agent (the dog is an ‘aware’ animal and in a lot of mythology). The dog acts as an intermediary between the diviner and the people.

The Evil spirit with cloven hooves – prevents messages between the god of the messages (Igwekala) and the diviner.

Amuma (Lightening) – Amuma is a god with two heads in hands and at knees.
The central chamber was used by the artists to stay in whilst they were building the Mbari, after which time the spirit (Amuma) on the side of the chamber may take on the spirit of a person who dies, and then their role is to protect the shrine [From the field research there may be some confusion here as usually the central chamber is where the main god/goddess resides, in this case Ala, and only the High Priest is allowed into this chamber].

10.11.08 Mbari (2) Ministry of Arts and Culture

2009-01-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

Maiden from the fattening room. Denotes a young woman about to be married. In order to look beautiful women had to look fat. The elderly women during this period of fattening are supposed to train them how to behave as a wife.

Man beating the gong – communicating eg. can let the community know when any enemies are coming.

Witch and her messenger which is depicted as an animal like a hyena/dog with claws. The man in the distance shows his bottom to her to counteract her evil intensions.

10.11.08 Mbari (2) Ministry of Arts and Culture

2009-01-30T08:48:00.000-08:00

This Mbari is built in honour of the goddess Ala. She is holding a Yam (famine/food) in one hand to bless the harvest and bring fertility, and she holds a knife in the other hand, which usually signifies strength. The coils around the ankles and wrists denote a Queen or deity.

God of War (Amadioha, or god of Thunder) is always followed by a begging wife, Ehehe and the Ram ( his messenger). The expression of this varies with each artist - see the previous image of Amadioha in Mbari 1.

The Python is the messenger of Ala and here is also depicted Nworie, the rain deity, and crocodile which is associated with water.

The Chimpanzee is considered to be evil and is the Igbo forest monkey called Ozodwigba.

10.11.08 Old Ikoro Drums

2009-01-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

10.11.08 Mbari (1)

2009-01-30T07:17:00.000-08:00

Mbari (1)

2009-01-30T07:11:00.001-08:00

More images of cement Mbari (1) Ministry of Culture

2009-01-30T07:07:00.000-08:00

10.11.08 Ministry of Arts and Culture/Arts Council

2009-01-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

Had to write a letter about the project for the Federal Ministry for easier access to the different areas we plan to visit for the research to ‘avoid bother’ – more bureaucracy! This letter did the rounds and took ages to gain permission to photograph the two permanent Mbari structure here. They also wanted to flog their own rather bad photographic prints of a few of the figures, which Mrs Okolie kept in draw in her desk!

There seems to be separate factions concerning Mbari from the people we informally talked to – those for it continuing at least for historical and cultural purposes, and those brainwashed against it entirely through conversions to Christian religions.

Ogechi Azubuike, Cultural Affairs Officer, Ministry of Arts and Culture, Owerri

She comes from Ezinitte-Mbaise (Village) and this is what she says about Mbari:
Diviners are important still within the culture. The Church is not succeeding because they cannot tell you the future or make prophesies to give you some sense of security. The Church is trying to destroy traditional culture by brainwashing. It is not satisfying the inner needs of the people. Evangelism reigns supreme. [According to Rev. Ngozi the deity in her village is Ala-Ogbaga and people would consult the god through the High Priest – this was a local justice system that the Catholics do not get involved with, because it was considered ‘fetish’. This traditional system was a form of admonishment, so if a person stole something they would have to pay a penalty through sacrifice and therefore the culprit would expect some form of penance for their misdeeds. Whereas, the Christians can go to church, be forgiven by God, and go and do it again.] There is some ambivalence here the Reverend's own thinking, being a protestant lay preacher and therefore promoting Christianity, but at the same time also being embedded in the local community with all the traditional values which gives a sense of group identity.

Mrs.Cordelia Okolie, ‘Acting Director of Museum and Monuments’, Owerri

She comes from the village of Oguta and this is what she says about Mbari:
She considers Mbari houses as artworks and not 'fetishes', because we have them in the galleries’. She thinks that this practice of Mbari will be phased out completely and does not appear to care about its continuity in any form.

Innocent Nwoga (contact of Paul Kalu) Chairman of Imo State Council of Elders and political adviser to the Federal government and was a former minister.

Innocent started by saying that he did not know a lot about Mbari but talked about the politics and historical contribution that the Colonialists made to the area - not good!

The colonials destroyed the communal relationships by setting up local rulers (called Ezes) – rather than the traditional priests/elders. Innocent wrote a letter to the government protesting about this administrative system. This Ezee system was not useful because it created internal disputes, and now people go to them to settle their disputes, but the Eze’s cannot do this as they do not have any real power. He said that there were no dominant figures in the Mbari [not strictly true] but there was always a master artist who chooses which figures are included, but there are some that have to be there eg. Ala is one of them, but the local gods vary from one village to another. Each market is protected by a god – and they can use this god to curse people.

After a bit of a fuss we were shown around the Mbari Centre here by Mr Njoku Barnabas, Head of Visual Arts and Museum Services, who gave us information about each figure in the reconstructed cement Mbaris. Mrs Cordelia Okolie did not seem to like us at all and thought we might be sneaky about taking photographs so watched us like a hawk!

Mr Barnabus said that Mbari today is just for rememberence, representative of the cultural past.

Mbari 1
In order to appease the deity the person would have to first consult a diviner. This would be done if the person had seen something odd, wrong, a sudden death, infertility, disease or bad harvest – something that would effect the whole community. The Igbo Mbari construction is a celebration or thankgiving. Ala is the god of fertility.

The Supreme god here in this Mbari is called Chukwu and is the main god here in this cultural centre – which smacks of Christianity. The first Mbari here was built in 1961, a year after Nigerian Independence, by Kenneth Murray (an art educator based in the Zarian school of art). There are different main gods in each Mbari – usually associated with each village.

The symbol of the four market days are depicted on this clay/cement figure of Chukwu, and contained within a diagonal cross in the square, in each triangle is A,E,N and O for the names of the days – Afor, Eke, Nkwo and Orie.

The altar where sacrifices are made by the priest is represented by a mound with three spikes, and three protrusions. Three symbolises three people 1) Chi 2) eke (wife) [chieke] and 3) Uwaoma (son) which can be interpreted as the Trinity in Christian religions.

Ant hill – represents the community life (a colony).

Tortoise – means wisdom to be taught to children. The tortoise is always used for sacrifice instead of human beings [not entirely true as l was told that human sacrifice still happens ref.Ike in Lagos at the house of Mrs Thomas].

Stool – on which the diviner or high priest sits – used during a sacrifice. [It seems that although animal sacrifices are usually done in the shrines, and not the Mbari houses, it sometimes happens that offerings of dead animals are left mysteriously at the Mbari shrines at night by people in the community].

Ostrich – teacher of the young. Hides its head in the ground and the rest of the bird is exposed which means that if you do evil you leave your family exposed, therefore do not do this in secrecy as you will be found out (your bottom will still be exposed!!).

Nweorie – god of justice (river goddess). Nweorie is the name of an actual river – uses python as an agent (depends on the behaviour of the snake).

Knife – justice. Independent details are often added by the artist.

Decorative mound – represents the extended family and they put a charm inside [usually herbs] which neutralises any evil intent by a visitor to the homestead.

Man with a swollen belly - taboo – a man who had committed an abomination dies of a swollen belly. This is a very bad death, which is evidence that the man had committed some evil to the god.

Town cryer type figure – pronounces or communicates message.

Spirit Agwu – leads people to do evil. Must make sacrifice so that you don’t die a bad death because of the thing that you have done.

Agbara (with open mouth and horns/ears on top of the head) kills the man. All the last four figures represent a group involved with the man with the swollen belly as part of a story/event.

God of Thunder Amadioha – represented by a ram which is his messenger. He creates havoc – also justice eg.land dispute, cheating.

Gong – makes sound of thunder – gun powder.

Ofo and Ogu – Justice. Can be almost any shape and any material – certain amount of individualism here. Ofo and Ogu are instruments of prayer which dictate that things are done fairly and seek out the innocence or guilty parties. These objects work together in this respect.

Snake – punishes on behalf of the god of Thunder, and is a messenger from the god which sometimes involves suicide, falling from trees, biting, hanging by the snake (any type of snake) – bad omen.

Giant Alakuku – escort against attack – bodyguard, protects white people from Isuochi village.

District Commissioner (Nwa DC) sitting at his desk writing with pen and ink - represents Whiteman and his Rule.

Warrant Chief and his wife and child represents a court and judgement. Indicates ‘Indirect rule’ by the British.

Ikoro – drum. By the beating of this drum people decode the meaning of messages. Used to pronounce festivals and other communications.

Mbataku – hunter of game and makes money which he then stores it in the bank. Symbols for bank and money are circles (manilas) and cowrie shells. Fairness and truth symbols are ofo and ogu (zigzags under his feet).

Chief priest – knows the values of people therefore dictates what figures/deity go into the Mbari house.

Ofo and Ogu – have to be fair. On one of these objects are represented the 4 market days x 24

Gods – spirits (angels) assist the gods.

9.11.08 Day at the house - planning the visits

2009-01-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

Stayed at home today and chatted to Father Okere again. This rocking deck chair became a favourite of mine.

Very humid again but later when it rained it cleared it for a while. Worked out a shopping list with Chidima, Father Okere's niece, for us all, which came to approximately £100 which we will get tomorrow at the market and £15 for phone calls.

Reverend is coming by car tomorrow to collect us for 9am to go to the Ministry of Culture office and the Arts Council in the same offices, where they have two reconstructed Mbaris on show made out of cement and earth.

Tonight we all looked at the map around Owerri in Herbert Cole’s book and pin pointed the more recent Mbari mentioned in the plates and Father Okere tried to contact people he might know in these areas. He altered the map correcting the spelling of place names and also where rivers began and ended. This was important as these represented river gods too – so this would be important to the cosmology.

When talking about Ala and the old earth Mbari Father Okere said that Ala represented so many things – 1) fertility of both humans and food production 2) the fertility of the land 3) and that often she is depicted with the god of Thunder who is also sometimes considered to be her husband and lastly 4) the earth is important because the ancestor spirits are not supposed to touch the ground with their feet when they walk [this is how they are identified in this world!]. The ancestors are supposed to occupy our world as well (reincarnation) rather than in the Christian religion, which believes that when you die you go to another place eg. heaven.

A lot of festivals are linked with the harvesting of things from the soil eg.YAM in particular.

When l asked about what it was that the Catholics did not like about the Mbari he said, one of the reasons for the religious change was that with Christianity came the English language, education and more chance of work/employment, which was obviously a strong pull. The depression in the 1930’s was global and it hit everyone around the world which was when Mbari had its hay-day around the 1930‘s and 40’s.

According to Father Okere.....

2009-01-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

Before coming out to Nigeria I read Herbert Cole's book on 'Mbari' which he spent three years researching and then he subsequently wrote a lot of articles which l also read in African Arts. This research was very thorough and stood me in good stead for the fieldwork l was to embark upon with Amara - Amara read this too.

I asked Father Okere what he knew of Mbari before we went out into the field and he related the following which was a mixture of conversations about Igbo culture and social history. I found information was sometimes contradictory and not always confirmed by other people, so extrapolating from the information gathered overall, some things remained fairly consistent whilst others were not, sometimes quite fictional but true in the minds of those detailing these things to us.

According to Father Okere, "Ala is the spirit that calls for Mbari - precipitated by a snake running around [unusually] in the homestead or a bee swamp arriving in a certain place. Mbari is social, religious and a form of worship. Mainly females from different families go into [the Mbari] a convent-like place for one and a half years and the village give them everything they need eg.food, etc. If they were going to build it today they would include figures such as Obama and even Al Kieda/Bin Laden as these would be contemporary. Mbari is localised. Mbari is left once it is made, as it is built to appease the gods (Ala). The Missionary movement was very intense. Catholics (Holy Ghost Fathers) had more success than the protestants in conversions because their religion tied in more with the gods and saints in the Catholic religion. In 1913 Arch Deacon Dennis who was a church missionary (protestant) translated the bible into Igbo. The Protestants came to Igboland in 1906 and the Catholics in 1912 (Crowther, who was protestant, first came to Igboland in 1857 and the Catholics not until 1885, who were French Alsatians (Franco-German) - Lutz was the first Catholic missionary to land in Igbo territory. The Irish came in 1905. Father Ferral was the first Catholic priest to come to Owerri area, who preached against polygamy, so his possessions were stolen by the locals, and so he decided to leave! There would be single women who were marriageable in the Mbari and a there would be a master craftsman or head artist. The women however did not necessarily have sexual relations with the men present in the Mbari!

The figures or scenes make some statement to the community. Mgbekenwokpere is the woman depicted with her legs open, the 'shameless woman' of legend who is sexually active. The message here is close your legs because your husband is coming. Copulating was something not to do. The Mbari showed current trends, World War II with England and Germany. Father Okere remembers the War as a child, and how palm kernels produced palm oil to help the war effort in the UK".

When l asked him about Binary Oppositions he said that binary opposition was very much part of Igbo culture in general, even place names - hill/valley, old earth/homestead - Okpu-Ulo.

The habit of moving house/communities a lot is typical of the Igbo (due to religious practice but also practical reasons) - being equatorial forest, the roofs leak and so move particularly after the roof collapses, and possibly again due to famine. The main occupations, which provide sustenance in the area are fish and yam farming, consisting of one area which is flooded and the other the city [maybe here describing water or sea, and earth or land?]. There are always only degrees of stability in the way people take up residence.

A traditional village settlement consists of rectangular houses enclosed within a square walled compound with a gate on two opposing sides. From 1948 the usual type of house was square (called a "4 cornered house") made of earth using 4-5 feet thick walls with a wooden ladder to the second floor (2 storey house). The Northern Igbo have round houses which involves reasons which are always religious. The earth is kneaded by the members of the community, who build the houses which is a test of community spirit. The community provide the food for them. In the Etche area the houses are more sticks and less earth but at home [Norrie] they are built thicker and with red earth, which is burnished (for decorative purposes) with charcoal.

Mbari is both a celebration and a structure, but not shrines. . It is a work of art. It is a time when young girls are brought out, and palm wine contests, to see who could not fall over first. The day chosen to open the Mbari celebration (lasting about 6 months) is usually on a particular market day associated with the place, after about 1 to 2 years of building the Mbari house. Village continuity, which is important, was established by these Mbari celebrations, as they happened frequently in different villages at different times. A lot have not been made since 1960’s in Rev.Ngozi’s village. Father Okere recommended reading ‘The Igbo’s of SE Nigeria’ by Victor C. Ucheudu. The traditional ruler known as an ‘Eze’, (local government) was instigated during Colonial times, although historically the Igbo’s do not have any Kingdoms – ‘The Igbo have no Kings’ because the Igbo are not a homogenous race and have operated as a democratic society of people, although three states have a sacred ruler. But usually age groups take care of village life (moral, and continuity of ancestors), land being inherited from our own parents.

Cosmologically the market days (4) are very important and times this by 2 to get the week, which is 8 days. One day of rest where the young ones go to older members to help them or have a meeting at the oldest persons' place (community meets to discuss these community matters). The market place used to be central.

At funerals they shoot guns about 21 to 200 shots in the air to signify to the community that this is what has happened – like a bell for people to go to church in UK. However the Christian religion said that they should not use guns, and interpreted this practice as the shots meaning the dead person being taken into the ancestor world, but according to Okere this is not true, it is merely to signify a death in the community – otherwise what would they have done before gunpowder was invented? This is merely for communication to the community to tell them this has happened (much as l imagine the village drum (gong) may have done in the past).

Father Okere this evening talked about the history of the colonial period when Nigeria was split into Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo areas – the former two had natural Eze’s or sheiks/rulers and the Oba (Kings in Yorubaland), but the Igbo were more democratic and did not have rulers, so the British found them not so easy to contend with/control. They managed to tax the men but the women were not so passified and so they rioted in 1929, which was a famous event – the British stayed until 1960, which was when Nigeria got independence from England. After this there followed some expeditions to find out more about the Igbo’s, and these were headed mainly by female anthropologists, such as Margaret Green, Silva, and two others. Then came anthropologist Jones/ Talbot etc. after them. Okere also said that anthropologists were a good way of introducing spying/intelligence information and they were often used by governments in this capacity.

Father Okere appreciates his culture and the more we talk the more l realise how embedded the Mbari is in terms of their identity as well as culture and he can picture his history as a young boy in terms of these experiences. He said he has only moved three times from one place to the other but each has its memories of what he saw and understood. He would make a good ‘living archive’, which would be wonderful for his ‘library’ (Whelan library at the Catholic mission in Owerri), which is nearby – l suggested as much to Amara.

The generator is very loud here at the house – but so are the local church’s loudspeakers! The services go on for sometime, two hours is usual.

More of Father Okere's house

2009-01-29T09:01:00.000-08:00

As it was not safe for me to go out alone so l found myself either in the house or a taxi a lot - the taxi acting like a mobile photographic 'hide'. The Father's house was built by an American lady called Edith, also Roman Catholic, who funded the project to assist the community. She visits from time to time, although now a little elderly. There are some quite glamourous photographs of her around in the upstairs sitting-room, which l later named the 'Ancester Room', as the huge empty chairs looked as if there should be people sitting in them, and looked to me quite strange. I made a video panning around this room both at night, using the 'nightshot' setting which gives it an erry feeling, and by day. The whole house has an odd sense of scale everything being larger than life, with a lot of the interior made of dark wood .....I began to feel it was like the Munster House in the Adams Family. It was very dramatic and l must say the 'skeleton' pinned to the wall up the staircase was a bit stunning on arrival! Halloween celebrations apparently!!!

8.11.08 OWERRI - Father Okere's House

2009-01-29T07:58:00.000-08:00

The plane was about 45 minutes late leaving Abuja for Owerri, which was a little worrying! This was where most of the research into the Mbari houses was to be carried out.

The Reverend Ngozi was there to meet us which was good and we managed to get through customs fairly easily by giving the official a whiff of Marmite that l had stuffed into the kettle! He physically reeled back! - my turn later with the catfish, etc......!

At this point l still did not know where we were going to stay exactly - again a bit nerve racking! The journey in the taxi was rather ad hoc - no maps or signs here! It was gradually getting dark and we eventually turned up a road which was unmade up with houses along the road that were barely half built, with no windows, doors, or roofs, although a lot of them had the second storey in place, with reinforcing irons akimbo - my heart sank as l thought of all the scenarios this might imply....BUT we miraculously found our way to Father Okere's house, which turned out to be the most beautiful in the whole road, not just because it was complete!!! I found out later that people actually lived in these other houses, as apparently it saved them money while they were building these houses as they did not have to pay rent elsewhere, and could afford to build it gradually, so they often lived in one room, whilst the rest of the house was built around them.

When we arrived back each night from the villages we visited the big gates were opened by guards at the beginning of the road, as vigilante groups operated in the area. Then again we were let into the compound with more big gates, with barbed wire being the order of the day. Owerri was part of South East Nigeria that was involved with the Biafran War which had immense impact on this area culturally, economically and of course politically which was so sad. Generally speaking it was quite a lawless society as a result of years of corruption, so theft and violence unfortunately were common.

Father Okere (no the chap in the blue shirt above, the other very friendly man was Amara's uncle who we stayed with later...) studied theology in Ireland and then went to Belgium and studied Philosophy, so he was very interesting to talk to and knew a lot about the history and the politics of the country. He was quite eccentric and loved his catfish, which he was nurturing in a specially made concrete pond and was full of algae, which was probably what l could taste in most of the fish l tried elsewhere!!! He also had a turkey hanging around which was later joined by a goat. l was told, the goat came from the Northern region of Nigeria (Hausa country which is Muslim) - this thing apart from smelling badly had the most pitiful bled at night - quite erry! There were lovely red flowering bushes in the garden as well as banana trees, pumpkins and palms and at night the lovely sound of the frogs and crickets which sounds so tropical. I felt at home.

7.11.08 'Art is Everywhere' workshop

2009-01-29T06:22:00.000-08:00

Being scheduled to leave for Owerri tomorrow we waited around the National Gallery to say our goodbyes to the Director of Curatorial Affairs - which we could not do because he did not show up, so off we went to the Cyprian Ekwensi Arts and Culture Centre again, where l managed to get the time to see the 'Art is Everywhere' workshop that was going on for while and talked to some of the artists and photographed their work. This was externally funded and seemed to be regular annual event. They came from different parts of Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cameroon, Nigeria (Calabar and Benin).

I also joined in their final talks about their work, from which l gathered that most of them were self taught. The matter of being self taught, or formally trained at art school, became a point of political discussion for them. The Ghanian artist, although self taught herself, argued that in many ways this is not true, as most often these artists attend workshops like this where they are exposed to outside influences and share ideas with other art makers, they travel abroad now much more, and become influenced by these experiences too as they observe and talk to a variety of people, which was an interesting point.

The work of the Ugandan artist looked the most interesting - he was using a mixture of 'Top Bond' PVA glue with soaked newspaper, corrugated cardboard and paint. It was made in layers like the walls of some shacks l have seen in Kenya. What l found interesting was his use of rocks to hold down the layers of the surface, but to me were a creative addition to the whole work - mind you, l like rocks myself (for formal reasons but they also trigger off memories of place for me) and I filled my pockets with them when flying back home to UK, after the two year contract in Kenya! He also knows William Kavuma who teaches painting at Makerere University in Kampala - small world!

When listening to the artist from Benin (the country, not the Nigerian state) it turned out that the copper and brass he used in his work was stripped from cars, not ships as l had previously read about.

The idea of recycling was almost evangelically promoted by the tutor Tony Odeh as being "so much linked with the environment" by which he meant that it helped to clear up the junk problem that plagued the environment - particularly in Nigerian urban areas it seemed.

We left at around 4pm and went to get chicken, which ended up being tough and scraggy and not much on the bone, but did get some fruit salad!

Passed a bridge that had the slogan "Think Possible".....very appropriate! The last taxi was a really bad driver, driving between lanes and his reactions rather slow, a bit like dodgums - saw at least two accidents today but luckily no one hurt.

6.11.08 Talk in Abuja

2009-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

I gave a talk about my artwork and my doctoral research on the Giriama Commemorative Grave Posts in Kenya, which lead on to this current project and collaboration with Amarachi. The title for the talk was 'Shared Perspectives' as my work involves cross cultural interpretations between African culture and that of UK, but this time l wanted to not only compare African cultures but work in tandem with an Igbo artist, using the same subject matter as a jumping off point for making artwork.

The audience consisted of roughly thirty artists from different parts of Africa who were attending a workshop called 'Art is Everywhere' (a lot of them self-taught), staff from the National Commission for Museum and Monuments (including Mayo) and staff from the National Gallery of Art and the Cyprian Ekwensi Arts and Culture Centre. It was well received with a lot of questions asked at the end.

The main questions were:
1 How do you sell your work or make money and why is it that art has less status than other areas of employment. This discussion lead to developing an African audience for art and the impact that art education can make.
2 Two people wanted to know how l did the anthropological research - one was connected to Benin Royalty and he wanted to do some work on his own background, which he said often involved secrecy. The other was a woman who thought it would be difficult for her to investigate something like this - which may be true if she was seen as part of a traditional system, which women are often excluded from. However l encouraged them both to document their cultural heritage as a matter of historical value and cultural identity.
3 Another question addressed the issues of cultural stereotypes and the West's perceptions of an African culture, which was prompted by his travels to Rome, where the expectation was that all Africans lived in 'mud huts' - this myth he felt was a negative response that should be dispelled. I quite agreed, but also explained that l liked the rural areas of the African countryside better than the cities l had visited and l did not necessarily feel that all modern developments were a positive thing in either the West or in Africa. But in terms of artwork, l like to use earth as a material with all its organic connotations and properties and its relationship to natural environments, which stems from my own childhood.
4 There were quite a few direct questions on the materials l used, the processes involved, and the casting techniques in my work. Some of them unfamiliar to them
5 They seemed to be most fascinated by the installation 'Presence/Absence' which l made at the Phoenix Gallery, Brighton, and asked how l got the earth under the floor - they seemed to think l had dug under the gallery floor, rather than lugging 6 tons of earth into the cavities under the suspended floor panels - l suppose it was a bit crazy!!!

No fans or AC so pretty steamy at the end of this.

Went to the Hilton (the only place to get internal flight tickets from) with Amara to fly to Owerri - horrendous chaos here too - a traffic jam up to the entrance of the hotel to start with and then a sort of unruly queue at the flight desks - men barging in all over the place and women looking daggers generally - one man lost the plot after a while - l lost it pretty quickly and sat down while poor Amara did the FULL ON battling! By the time l got back to the 'Vines' l was exhausted.

5.11.08 Masquerading Palm Trees

2009-01-22T08:37:00.000-08:00

Saw what looked like extraordinarily tall palm trees in both Abuja and Lagos...basically masquerading telecommunications again with their canny subterfuge! Spot the difference! This made me think about all the satellite masts here in UK that are hidden and might be a bizarre photographic project.

Great sign above the dual carriage-way today read, "Decrease your speed, INCREASE your thinking!" Likewise a slogan for a bank "Think Possible"! The latter became a bit of an incantation for the whole trip! - seemed to work!!!

Mayo arrived in his traditional dress with the Yoruba hat which he explained meant different things when it was folded in different ways - tonight it was in the rebel position...I like it!! The hat can be folded in five different ways, forward for rebel, folded on the left means son of the soil, over to the right means power and change, flapped back means there are still matters to be resolved (after a meeting of elders indicates a bad meeting), and if it is standing upright it means he wants to have fun....a bit cheeky!!!

I had a long productive talk with Mayo tonight and ran a few of the questions by him that l was maybe going to ask people in the field and at the talks l was going to deliver. He has previously worked with Susanne Langer in the Oshun Grove in Yorubaland and apparently she is now in her eighties and still only taking local medicines! He has also worked with Gill Salmon and the late Keith Nicklin, who have both researched in the same region as me and have written about the influence of the Cross River people (neighbours) to the Igbo of Owerri in effect. Gill has previously researched the Mama Wata shrines in South East Nigeria.

Mayo said travelling across borders has been the main influence on the art produced and the introduction of modern media from the West such as new paints, tools, cement and plastics. When I asked him about the concepts of Mbari he drew parallels with his own traditions which he split into 3 categories a) concept b) belief and c) totemic elements in reference to the making of an object. Artistically the artists involved with making a totemic figure would follow a general tradition of representing this figure according to local beliefs but he said that the artists would also have free reign to individualise their piece of work. In reference to styles he said if there is a repetitive style it is usually because it sells, so if the work does not sell there is more experimentation until the work does sell or become popular. I found in Kenya too that if a certain carved object sold well others would copy it in order to sell as well - selling art in African countries is a necessity (with no welfare system or health service) and with less call for traditional objects commissioned by the traditional religious practices their patrons are thin on the ground. However Mayo thought that if an artist does obtain patronage, as with traditional carvers, it follows that this would allow them more time to think and contemplate the outcomes for their work, leading perhaps to more innovation.

The topic of cultivating an African audience and patronage for art was a popular discussion point after each lecture l gave in Abjua and the Universtiy of Nigeria, Nsukka.