Igbo Cultures And Traditions
Meet Igbo Artist, Chiagoziem Orji, Who Is Resurrecting The Ancient and Long-Lost Uli Art Form In Igbo Culture
The fusion of Igbo Uli art and Nsibidi (Nshi Biri) script as brought forth in the gifts and paintings of Chiagoziem Orji, belongs to an ancient and mystical language (for of expression) of Ndi Gboo, the first Igbo people of this world. At a time in our history when we feel that the ancient wisdom and knowledge of our race has become extinct, we have been blessed as Ndi Igbo by Ndi Ichie and the gifts of Agwu bestowed on our sister Chiagoziem Orji.
A simple look at her art and the deep messages they carry endears any conscious Igbo person (and African) to them, with each viewer searching his/her soul for the perfect interpretation of her art. In this simple act of soul searching, the admirer is drawn by Agwu Nshi Oha (the head of all principalities and powers in the universe) into the bountiful realm of imagination, knowledge, and expression – Uche Chukwu, the universal mind of Okike.
The Uli art form, being an ancient Igbo script is mostly used by Igbo women on the walls of houses, weaving of cloths, as beautification on their skins, and as the spiritual and cultural celebration of the Goddess (earth and water Goddesses) in Igbo cosmology.
By the nature of her art, Chiagoziem Orji, uses her art to reconnect Ndi Igbo to these ancient aspects of our culture, almost forgotten and buried by modernization and a deliberate erasure of Igbo ways and beliefs.
We at Voice Of The Sun, are proud to showcase her art to the world, and In so doing encourage her to continue to draw, sketch, and paint in the art form that she does, and in so doing contribute to the restoration of the collective Igbo consciousness.
A Brief Biography On Chiagoziem Orji
Chiagoziem Orji is a graduate of the University Of Nigeria Nsukka and a super-lion in her rights. She hails from Enugwu State, Nigeria. She lives and works in Enugu State, Nigeria.
Growing up in a cultural environment that has gone through lots of evolution and influence, leading to the saturation of her original culture, Chiagoziem Orji felt the need to set a reminder of what it used to be, using her paintings and drawings to preserve her culture.
Chiagoziem Orji discovered her love for figurative lines in 2019 while finishing her undergraduate degree. From there she started working with female figures, on her quest to explore the aesthetics of African and Igbo culture. She discovered the harmony and rhythm in the African Nsibidi symbols which helped her to achieve a unique style and authenticity in her field.
Her drawings and paintings are inspired basically by her cultural background and activities, as Onye Igbo. Chiagoziem believes that spirituality is the engine behind our physical world. This belief is frequently reflected in her paintings. Her art is a safe space that she runs to to escape anxiety and disturbing thoughts.
She connects with her inner being and inner child when she paints and draws, which helps her to heal from life’s happenings. While painting, she explores human body movements and the emotions they portray. She works heavily with her cultural aesthetics and philosophies, which has a way of setting her free from the negative side of evolution and Western influence.
Her artworks are also inspired by the flow of energy, gestures, and body movements of humans and native elements. She is also inspired by the rhythm that comes from exploring the relationship between Igbo Uli and Nsibidi symbols fusing with Igbo cultural aesthetics.
Using digital tools, ink on paper, and acrylic paint on canvas Chiagoziem Orji has been exploring the Igbo cultural masquerade dancer called Agbọghọ mmụọ, a maiden masquerade that is usually worn by men. When these men dance, they are obliged to make gestures like that of a young maiden.
This act signifies honor to the young maidens of Igbo society. The body movements amaze her and make her want to paint and flow with the maiden spirit.
Chiagoziem feels surreal observing the balance that comes with the maiden spirit masquerade and the man wearing it. She loves the flow of masculine energy being ruled by feminine vibrations.
To see more of her paintings, visit her Instagram Profile below:
This Article Was Written By Chuka Nduneseokwu, Editor-In-Chief, of Voice Of The Sun
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