#edo state

Brass plaque from the Kingdom of Benin, 16th-17th century,

Lost-wax casting,

Edo State, Nigeria & Al Jazirah, Sudan – Protesters in Nigeria’s Middle Belt are rallying in defiance of escalating violence against Christians, while in Sudan, hidden worship services underscore a broader crisis of religious persecution. In Edo State, thousands took to the streets at Jattu junction in Auchi, as demonstrators chanted, “We are not afraid. We are not going to walk away from our…

Ahoemoe-egbe (A Documentary On Love)

In a land where women are considered last when it comes to decision-making in the home, Dandelion Eghosa, Olubambi (Imagery) and Olabisi Olaleye team up to produce the first installment in a docuseries based on love, what it means and how it is viewed from the very women who come from a generation that did not privilege them to choose their own partners. The documentary presents the many ways these women see and express love, and shows how generations of black women have been conditioned to love.

Lagos-based artist Victor Ehikhamenor takes his childhood experience with masquerade in Nigeria’s Edo State as one of the inspirations for his contemporary sculptures: “So when we look at the entire oeuvre of art making, I think the masquerade embodies everything in it and these were pretty much my own experiences growing up that influenced what I do in ways, either directly or indirectly. And I know that there are so many other artists that have borrowed from that background especially those that grew up in the village to see this kind of phenomenon. It is quite important for me as an artist and I’m sure for other Nigerian artists, a lot of them have explored it. It’s either you're running away from it or you embrace it, so it depends on the artist.”

Hear more from Victor in the exhibition One: Egúngún on view through August 18, 2019