The UK Government Art Collection has just acquired a work by Nengi Omuku (b.1987, Nigeria). Selected by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the artwork, titled “All Things be Equal”, 2024 blends cultural heritage with a deeply personal narrative. Using Sanyan fabric, Nengi Omuku honors its deep cultural significance among the Yoruba people. Her artworks transform into textile installations, highlighting that her paintings sit on a pre-existing masterpiece. The piece will be displayed at the iconic 10 Downing Street in London.
Over the years, Nengi has always experimented with surfaces, acknowledging it as the first mark of any artist. Spending time between Nigeria and London, she noticed the difference in canvas quality and how clothes are a significant part of Nigerian culture.
“I noticed that you can immediately identify whether someone is Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa just by what they are wearing, even before speaking to them.” Nengi Omuku during her Interview with Azeeza Sanni, General Manager of Art Network Africa.
Noticing a pattern in her research, Sanyan became very significant for Nengi Omuku. Her curiosity about pre-colonial clothing led her to explore the first fabrics worn in Nigeria. She began questioning the earliest memories of cloth and how people identified themselves through material. This exploration deepened when her grandmother introduced her to Namatibi in Rivers State.
The river is also known as isiago by the Igbo people, which amusingly turned out to be a colonial blanket. As her journey continued in Lagos, she learned about Ashoki, the traditional fabric of the Yoruba people. However, it was when a friend shared his collection of Sanyan that Omuku felt a profound connection. The fabric reminded her of linen, a surface she often used in art school, but Sanyan felt sturdier, older, and richer in history and craftsmanship. She immediately recognized it as a superior material, which inspired her to begin painting on it.
Her romantic-style paintings honor African creationism and horticulture, through expressive works that depict abstract figures set against ethereal landscapes. These paintings draw evocatively from the natural world, horticulture, and themes of creationism. As she fuses oil paint and Sanyan, Omukus reflects on her experience of living between cultures while firmly grounding her work in Nigerian culture. With this, her works celebrate both tradition and innovation.
Omuku also held her first solo exhibition in New York, titled Wild Things and Perennials. The exhibition further cemented her reputation as an innovative voice in contemporary art, offering insights into her dynamic artistic vision. You can explore more about this exhibition here.
