kó Gallery presents ‘Dry Season’ a solo exhibition by Eva Obodo featuring recent charcoal and fibre artworks. This exhibition explores the artist’s fascination with the intricate terrains of human experience, presenting a powerful narrative of contemporary social and political landscapes. Eva Obodo is a professor of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, specialising in sculpture.
The exhibition is curated by Ugonna Ibekwe and is proudly supported by Le Connoisseur. Private Preview of the show took place on the 1st of March 2025, between 6-8 PM and was by invitation only. The Artist Talk: In Conversation with the curator will take place on Saturday the 29th of March 2025 at 3 PM. ‘Dry Season’ opened on the 4th of March and will run until the 5th of April 2025.
Over the past two decades, Obodo’s artistic practice has evolved significantly. Initially focused on exploring dry wood through techniques of tying, binding and polishing, his recent work incorporates wood in its charcoal state—a transformative phase following burning that is often deemed aesthetically depleted. Similarly, his approach to fibre art has shifted from creating soft sculptures using jute bags to crafting cylindrical forms and bold, thread-like wave lines, highlighting the artist’s experimental process with materials.
The exhibition’s title refers to the harsh ecological period when resources are scarce and survival of natural vegetation becomes a delicate negotiation—a metaphor that resonates through the individual artwork titles. This theme reflects the tensions and limitations present in the social, political and personal ecosystems of Nigeria, Africa and the world. Several series within the exhibition offer critiques of political institutional dysfunction, while others explore interpersonal dynamics and social proximities. Obodo’s work also engages with themes carrying deep religious implications across various faiths and addresses contemporary economic challenges. Although Obodo has transitioned from using wood and jute bags as primary elements in his work in favour of charcoal and thread, he continues to employ the tying and binding techniques that have become the hallmark of artists from the Nsukka School. The careful assembly of small loops of charcoal and strands of thread into expansive compositions points to the contemporary “Igwebuike” idiom of the Nsukka School that expresses the belief in the strength of a multitude. Here, individual fragments that might have been discarded as negligible are reimagined.
‘Dry Season’ stands as a meditation on adaptation and the persistent hope of survival that emerges even in seemingly barren contexts. It mirrors our collective and individual struggles within harsh, inequitable systems and pays homage to the resilient, sustainable experimental spirit of the Nsukka School.
Eva Obodo earned both his MFA and PhD in Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and has served as Head of the department. His academic career includes a former position as a lecturer at Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo. His work has been featured in numerous exhibitions internationally, including the Osaka Triennale (2001, Japan) and the DAK’ART Biennale (2002, Senegal). He has held three solo exhibitions with kó and Arthouse Contemporary in Lagos, including ‘Recent Works’ (2021), ‘Ngwugwu (Packages)’ (2019) and ‘Line.by.Line’ (2015). His work has been exhibited at Art Dubai, 1:54 Marrakech and Investec Cape Town Art Fair. In 2025, Obodo was selected as finalist for the Norval Foundation Sovereign African Art Prize. Beyond his artistic practice, Obodo participated in the inaugural African Regional Summit and Exhibition on Visual Arts (ARESUVA) in Abuja (2008), and was an invited observer and resource person at ART X Lagos (2017). In 2013, he received a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship Award.
Ugonna Ibekwe is an art historian trained at the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria. His curatorial interests primarily focus on the representation of contemporary artists. During his academic journey, Ugonna served an internship in art history at the Anvil Studio extension. There, he benefited from the mentorship of Professor Ozioma Onuzulike, acquiring comprehensive knowledge in African and contemporary art. This experience has shaped his professional trajectory, leading to his current roles as supervisor for Anvil’s art history section and guest curator at the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Anvil is one of the pioneering members of the “10 for 10 Art Society,” an organisation dedicated to promoting a closed circle of young artists. Additionally, his diverse interests are reflected in his membership with the “World Organization of the Scout Movement,” demonstrating his engagement with broader social and cultural initiatives.
