BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
POPULARLY known for his waste-recycling skill, the artist of bone-collage
medium, Godwin Archie-Abia, finds a new expression in mixed
media —paintings, cardboard and objects. This discovery, however, comes in
two series: soft collage and simple painting, largely of abstract themes.
Up-until-now, Archie-Abia used bones and cow horns as
materials for creative expression. He cuts them into diverse themes and glues
to a board.
![]() |
Migration and Refugee Question, a mixed media by Godwin Archie-Abia |
However, this new development, which he declared as ‘work in
progress’, does not suggest that his 20 years relationship with the bone-collage
medium will end soon.
In the piece, Mbombo (Virgin
Dancers), which looks at female circumcision in Efik culture, Archie-Abia
highlights the bright and familiar shapes of his bone-collage, maybe
subconsciously.
The work depicts ladies who have just been circumcised,
coming out of the ritual room. And to stress the blood letting of this ritual
on canvas, there is a simple red spot beneath the work.
While saying that female circumcision is a global
issue, he argues that the innocence of the ladies in their dancing mood
represents the dogged spirit of those who still stick to the practice tagged
‘genital mutilation’. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) lists 28
countries as where the practice is still prevalent.
BETWEEN Archie-Abia’s rested
bone-collage and the new creative form, there is a transition in the manner of
expression.
“It’s spiritual,” he disclosed. “After a deep reflection of
my art, God revealed the new technique through a dream. It came the same way I
got my inspiration for the bone medium.”
He, however, noted that there had been a build-up to that, especially
the challenged face in the area of constant power supply. Electricity, he said,
“is crucial to powering the machine that cuts bones and cow horns.”
Archie-Abia described this progression as going into the
invisible to bring out a new medium to the visible.
Migration and
Refugee Question, one of abstract themes in his works, shows a sharp
contrast between his old and new media of communication. Expressed in
assemblage of diverse objects and motifs, the work radiates the aura of
spiritual transition in creative adventure.
![]() |
Godwin Achie-Abia |
ARCHIE-ABIA is one the few
artists who combine studio art with gallery business. Though he has been doing
this in his Win Arc Gallery for almost two decades, he is not satisfied with
the entrepreneurship aspect of Nigerian art.
He said government is not creating the right environment for
the arts to thrive. He wondered, “how do we explain the fact that a lot of
Nigerians import works of foreign artists into this country?”
While chiding
some of the big hotels for importing cheap foreign art, called on government to
“place embargo on importation of foreign arts and encourage research on local
arts materials.”
No comments:
Post a Comment