Young Contemporary Alumni Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu launched late 2022 her contemporary take on the classic Ludo board game, Ludo x Yadi.
Despite it being over three months since the launch of this masterpiece, we can never stop talking and expressing our take on the Art we can play. It was a few weeks ago I saw on Twitter, under Chigozie Obi’s post about the creative initiative Yadi had taken up and the product of it. Although there were some backlashes about the piece; some calling it overpriced, others demeaning the quality of the art. The Ludo piece continues to shake the contemporary art scene with its uniqueness.
This piece is birthed by the active collaboration between artist Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu and wuruwuru, a maker collective. Made with great care and consideration, every part of this Ludo board is sourced and designed in Lagos, Nigeria, channelling the productive capacity of this chaotic city. Ludo as a board game goes far into our collective history, It has been played by generations of Nigerians. Though little is known about its actual origins in West Africa, Ludo has been absorbed into Nigeria’s cultural history, developing its own vibe and language. While the board’s look and feel have been reimagined, our intention is to highlight its value as both a cultural artefact and a source of recreation, whose staying power in the social life of Nigerians conjures memories of leisure, care, and community.
If you’re yet to know the artist, Yadichinma is a self-taught multimedia artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. Her art practice centers on explorations of line, form and boundary, which she expresses through a variety of media including painting, drawing, sculpture and film. She often creates landscapes on paper made with a combination of abstract elements and textures. Her work sometimes exposes the skeletal process of creating, where the audience is invited to witness and explore with her.
“Lastweek Thursday I got to present a project that’s been very close to my heart this entire year. I collaborated with @wuruwurumag , my friend Opemipo to bring for LUDO x Yadi into this world. I’m extremely grateful for the sheer opportunity to just be able to make things and to Ope ( @fathermerry ) for carrying this vision with me very diligently. Thank you all who have worked with me, played this game and supported it throughout its birthing process. Thanks especially to @olabisirm who has been so supportive from the inception of this dream, from all the drives to mushin and back, to the excellent product photos we have. Thanks to @chi.gozie for hearing me out through tears complaining about all the work and just encouraging me non-stop to keep going. Big thanks also to @josh_egesi for designing the “kolom” and all the thought and work he put into it. Last but not the least thanks to the team @wuruwurumag Williams and Damilare , who have worked on making this a very very sweet product, from framing to boxing.”
