UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA DEPARTMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS VEGETABLE CULTURE: FIBRE ART IN THE NSUKKA SCHOOL, 1975- 2005 BY GODSON .O. DIOGU PG/M.A/Ph.D/05/40119 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF FINE AND APPLIED ARTS, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ART HISTORY APRIL 2010. TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages Dedication-------------------------------------------------------.----------------------i Title Page-------------------------------------------------------------------------------ii Certification---------------------------------------------------------------------------iii Acknowledgement---------------------------------------------------------------------v Approval Page-------------------------------------------------------------------------iv Abstract---------------------------------------------------------------------------------vi List of Plates---------------------------------------------------------------------------viii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION------------------------------------------------------------------------1 DEFINITION OF TERMS--------------------------------------------------------------6 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM---------------------------------------------------7 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY---------------------------------------------------------8 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY---------------------------------------------------------9 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY---------------------------------------------10 METHODOLOGY-----------------------------------------------------------------------10 ORGANIZATION -----------------------------------------------------------------------11 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW-------------------------------------------------------------13 CHAPTER THREE FIBRE ART IN HISTORY------------------------------------------------------------22 CHAPTER FOUR CURRICULUM REVIEW IN THE NSUKKA SCHOOL: DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT ON FIBRE ART-----------------------------------------------------50 CHAPTER FIVE SOME SELECTED FIBRE ARTISTS OF THE NSUKKA SCHOOL: BIOGRAPHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL DETAILS---------------------------68 UCHE OKEKE-------------------------------------------------------------------------69 CHUKWANUGO.S.OKEKE---------------------------------------------------------77 IFEDIORAMMA DIKE---------------------------------------------------------------84 EVERASTUS OBODO---------------------------------------------------------------103 SLYVERNUS ODOJA ASOGWA-------------------------------------------------110 ANGELA NKEMDILIM UDEANI-------------------------------------------------119 CHAPTER SIX THE FIBRE ARTISTS AND INDIGENOUS ART TRADITIONS------------128 CHAPTER SEVEN THE FIBRE ARTISTS WITHIN NSUKKA SCHOOL EXPERIENCE------141 CHAPTER EIGHT CONCLUSION------------------------------------------------------------------------149 APPENDIX 1--------------------------------------------------------------------------159 APPENDIX 11-------------------------------------------------------------------------163 1 LIST OF PLATES Pages Plate 1: Jindrich Vohanka, La Visite d’aldebaran……………………………25 Plate 2: Barbra Chase riboud, Monument to Malcom………………………..26 Plate 3: Walter Nottingham, Wall Pillow……………………………………...28 Plate 4: Walter Nottingham, Fuses……………………………………………28 Plate 5: Joesp Grau Garriga, Soca de Guernica……………………………...30 Plate 6: Josep Grau Garriga, Perella………………………………………….30 Plate 7: Claire Zeisler, Cascade………………………………………………..31 Plate 8: Claire Zeisler, Untitled………………………………………………..31 Plate 9: Anonymous Artist, Medicine man mask……………………………..33 Plate 10: Anonymous artist, Baule Mask………………………………………34 Plate 11: Anonymous Artist, Head-dress………………………………………36 Plate 12: Anonymous Artist, Flat Disk Mask………………………………….36 Plate 13: Anonymous Artist, Wearable Art……………………… …................37 Plate 14: Anonymous Artist, Yoruba King’s Head-Dress……………………..39 Plate 15: Anonymous Artist, Ijele Costume……………………………………40 Plate 16: Anonymous Artist, Warriors in quilted Cloth Armor……………….41 Plate 17: Anonymous Artist, Ekwe Masquerade Costume…………….. …......48 Plate 18: Anonymous Artist, Wander Masquerade Costume………………….48 Plate 19: Okwuowulu, T. F, Untitled Mixed-Media Textile…………………...56 Plate 20: Jackson Ikanem, Royal Couple………………………… …………...56 2 Plate 21: Ali, Rebeca, Christmas Greetings…………………………….……….57 Plate 22: Musa, Grace, Christmas Greetings…………………… ……...…….57 Plate 23: Anonymous Artist, My Experience…………………………….…….58 Plate 24: Anonymous Artist, My Experience……………………………..……58 Plate 25: Nwigwe, Chukwuemeka, Hope………………………… ……...…...59 Plate 26: Onwuzuruigbo, Scholastica, Expectation……………..……………..59 Plate 27: Asadu, Nick, Mother and Child………………………… ………….60 Plate 28: Asadu Nick, Futility…………………………………………………...60 Plate 29: Anonymous Artist, Conservation……………………………………..61 Plate 30: Anonymous Artist, Conservation……………………………………..61 Plate 31: Oguejiofor, Sabina, Right of Passage………………… …………….62 Plate 32: Anonymous Artist, Untitled…………………………………….…….62 Plate 33: Nwigwe, Chukwuemeka, Nest……………………… … ……....……63 Plate 34: Dyoke, Chinyere, Nest………………………………… ……………63 Plate 35: Dyoke Chinyere, Nest…………………………………………………64 Plate 35(b): Portrait of Uche Okeke……………………………………………..68 Plate 36: Uche Okeke, Anya Nwammuo………………………………………...75 Plate 37: Uche Okeke, Onwuelo Depart………………………………………...75 Plate 37(b): Portrait of C.S.Okeke………………….……………………………77 Plate38: C.S.Okeke, Tapestry…………………………………… ……………...82 Plate 39: C.S.Okeke, Ejekom be Loya…………………………………………..83 3 Plate 39(b): Portrait of Ifedioramma Dike………………………………………84 Plate 40: Idu Masquerade………………………………………………………..88 Plate 41: Okwomma Masquerade………………………………………………..88 Plate 42: I. Dike, Meditation…………………………………………………….89 Plate 43: I. Dike, Night Bird…………………………………………………….89 Plate 44: I. Dike, Mgbedike……………………………………………………..89 Plate 45: I. Dike, The Lost Scroll………………………………… …………....92 Plate 46: I. Dike, Something Binds Us Together……………… ……………....93 Plate 47: I. Dike, Iru Ijele……………………………………………………….93 Plate 48: I. Dike, Grander…………………………………………………….....96 Plate 49: I. Dike, The Melting Pot……………………………………………....96 Plate 50: I. Dike, The Bull…………………………………………….………...97 Plate 51: I. Dike, Identified Flying Object…………………………….………..97 Plate 52: I. Dike, Resonance……………………………………………..……...98 Plate 53: I. Dike, Our Faces are Different…………………………….………..98 Plate 54: I. Dike, Mere Africa………………………………………….……….99 Plate 55: I. Dike, Even with One Eye………………………………….……….99 Plate 56: I. Dike, The wings are There…………………………………………101 Plate 56(b): Portrait of E. Obodo…………………………………………….....103 Plate 57: E. Obodo: Ite Ofo…………………………………………………….106 Plate 58: E. Obodo, Igbangwu Oka…………………………………………....106 4 Plate 59: E. Obodo, Gut and Intestines I………………………………………107 Plate 60: E. Obodo, Gut and Intestine II………………………………………108 Plate 61: E. Obodo, Goods Only……………………………………………….108 Plate 62: E. Obodo, Wall and Tubers………………………………………….108 Plate 63: E. Obodo, The Explorer……………………………………………..109 Plate 63(b): Portrait of Slyvanus Asogwa……………………………………..110 Plate 64: Asogwa. S, Nwangboto……………………………………………...113 Plate 65: Asogwa. S, The Counselor…………………………………………..113 Plate 66: Asogwa. S: Sage……………………………………………………...113 Plate 67: Asogwa. S, Royal Concourse…………………………………………113 Plate 68: Asogwa. S, Ugele Nwoma……………………………………………114 Plate 69: Asogwa. S, Eshikaru…………………………………………………114 Plate 69(b): Potrait of Angela, I. Udeani……………………………………....119 Plate 70: Udeani, Angela, Royalty………………………………… ………....121 Plate 71: Udeani, Angela, The Royal and the Subjects…………… ………...121 Plate 72: Udeani, Angela, Conflect……………………………… …………..122 Plate 73: Udeani, Angela, Dialogue I …………………………… ………….122 Plate 74: Udeani, Angela, Dialogue II .………………………………………..122 Plate 75: Udeani, Angela, Peace ……………………… …………………….122 Plate 76: Udeani, Angela, Solemnity…………………… ………… ………...123 Plate 77: Udeani, Angela, Transition …………………… ………… ……….123 5 Plate 78: Udeani, Angela, Hang on Me…………………… ……… ………..125 Plate 79: Udeani, Angela, New Birth …………………… ………………….125 Plate 80: Diogu, G .O, We can Still Live Togather……… …………………148 Plate 81: Nwigwe, C, Idi na Otu………………………………………………148 APPENDIX 1 Plate: 82 Diogu, G. O, Unknown Flying Object……………………………….159 Plate 83: Nwigwe, C, Nest I ..…………………………………………………..159 Plate 84: Nwigwe, C, Untitled………………………………………………….159 Plate 85: Nwigwe, C, Nest II …………………………………………………..159 Plate 86: Nwigwe, C, Untitled………………………………………………….160 Plate 87: Nwigwe, C, Untitled…..……………………… ……………………..160 Plate 88: Anonymous Artist, Fabric Collage………………………………….161 Plate 89: Nwigwe, C, Untitled………………………………………………….161 Plate 90: Anonymous Artist, Untitled…………………………………………161 Plate 91: Ubah, Rita, Hand Bag………………………………………………..161 Plate 92: I. Dike, Master With the Golden Thread…………………………….161 Plate 93: Diogu. G.O, In Memory of Dick Tiger………..…………………….161 6 7 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION The University of Nigeria was formally opened on the 7th of October 1960, as the climax to the Nigerian independence celebrations. Although classes began on the 17th of October 1960, registration into the Fine Arts programme of the university commenced in 1961. The department was originally named the Enwonwu College of Fine Arts before its change to College of Fine Arts, and it was noted that Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, among other actors, played a major role in its establishment (Oloidi, 2004, 23-25). But immediately after the Nigerian Civil War, in 1970, the department acquired a new name: Department of Fine and Applied Arts under Uche Okeke. In his article titled Ile Ola Uli; Nsukka School as Fount and Factor in Modern Nigerian Art,