We Took Refuge In The Famished Road

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Curated by Chris Udoh

They Said the Earth Swallows, But How Can You Swallow A Seed ?

Photograph by Kamzy Nuel
Photograph by Toyin Adedokun

focuses on the archaeological explorations of the Indigenous peoples and cultures of Akwa lbom. It is an ode to the ecological wisdom of the earth being the custodian of all things tangible and symbolic. This exhibition highlights artifacts unearthed by within the Akwa-Cross region of Nigeria dating beyond the Benin Empire, and contemporary compositions of k/Ibibio form of writing and language of Ekpuk, Ofem Ubi

The Famished Road,” this exhibition likens lost cultures to being like an Abiku - a spirit child in the Yoruba mythology that goes through a lifetime of reincarnations. Buried but alive. Never lost, always

This social discourse is critical in this clime as the Indigenous cultures within the Akwa Ibom region are at threat of extinction ects of globalization and Christian

Photograph by Kamzy Nuel
Photograph by Damilola Bankole

We Took Refuge In The Famished the public to not only experience the tangible and intangible pieces of these cultures shown within the display but also call the viewer to take up the role of an archeologist, subtly nudging them to be active agents in bringing these fading cultures back to life.

To facilitate this participation, the audiences are invited to walk on the exhibition grounds without shoes, for the earth is a sacred ground that holds all things. Some pieces within the exhibition are buried beneath the earth, calling one to perform the delicate act of digging and finding. Ubi’s beautiful poem, “ written on a sac, is torn into pieces, and buried within and around the exhibition space. You are invited to search for the missing pieces to make sense of the poem.

The exhibition space quickly shifts into a dance between the artists and the observer, bringing all of them together. It becomes the well that quenches collective and individual thirst.

Photograph by Kamzy Nuel

Photograph by Damilola Bankole

The very act of seeking and finding helps the audience get a clearer idea about the goal of the display. It is not only for them to see Amanam's incredible archeological discoveries from the Akwa-Cross region but also a call for them to be active participants in the archeology of the indigenous peoples and cultures of Akwa Ibom, which is one of the integral missions of Anyen Iyak Foundation for Art and Culture.

Photograph by Kamzy Nuel
Photograph by Toyin Adedokun
Photograph by Toyin Adedokun
Photograph by Kamzy Nuel
Photograph by Toyin Adedokun
Photograph by Kamzy Nuel
Photograph by Kamzy Nuel

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We Took Refuge In The Famished Road by Christopher Udoh - Issuu