As her inaugural London exhibition, Joy of More Worlds, wins hearts and minds, the Nigerian artist tells Pin Africa why her art is a calling.
In the deft hands of Marcellina Akpojotor, Ankara fabrics stop being mere textiles; they transform into vivid narratives with characters and their everyday life on canvas. Bold strokes of colour and texture intertwine to form a rich tapestry that reflects the intricate layers of life in Nigeria, offering an insightful social commentary on the themes of female empowerment, education, family, and womanhood. In Joy of More Worlds, she captures the essence and adventures of being a child and the significant role of motherhood in shaping society. Each artwork, informed and inspired by the artist’s family photographs, celebrates the vibrant and playful spirit of childhood and demonstrates Akpojotor’s dedication to documenting history and memories.
Pin Africa: Joy of More Worlds is a continuation of your exploration into generational legacy. Why did you want to go down this route, and what were you hoping to discover?
Marcellina Akpojotor: My work has been inspired by my need to understand where I come from. They say, ‘When you don’t know where you are coming from, it’s difficult to move ahead.’ I wanted to understand the journey of the women in my family, my place and position in our lineage, how I can take the story further, and expand whatever we’re missing. I learnt it was one of my great-grandmother’s desire to be formally educated. However, she never got her wish. Hence, she made it a point to tell people that if she could come back in another lifetime, one of the first things she would say is, ‘A book and a pen’. Interestingly, I didn’t hear this from her directly; my mum told me about it. It has become part of an oral storytelling tradition in my family whenever my mum talks about the experiences of her grandmother, my great-grandmother. Ironically, at the time my mum shared this story with me, I was going back to university to further my studies and get my bachelor’s degree. I wanted to understand my decision and journey, so I could be better positioned for it. It was an experience about having a history that inspires some of the steps you take in life or the decisions you make. This was one of the reasons I went digging, to gain a better sense of the women in my family and their relationship with the idea of education. Some part of my work is about the pursuit of education from my great-grandmother to my daughter. For my great-grandmother, it was a wish, one that became a legacy she passed down to every woman in the family and how each generation has worked to attain that desire. Hence, when you interact with my body of work, you will see these elements in the stories I tell.
As an artist, are you concerned about blurring the boundary between objective documentation and personal experiences in your work, since you’re telling private family stories through your work?
Being an artist is about vulnerability. You’re putting yourself out there, sharing your experiences, and you hope people are able to connect. Sometimes, I still feel artists are not very direct. There are times when you might not be able to tell who is who in the images or work of an artist because it has gone through some form of modification. There are some stories that need to be told. There are some stories which, when told, there are consequences. Nevertheless, I think the stories still need telling, the same way movie directors feel the need to tell a story through their films, and musicians sing about their experiences. As artists, we also need to talk about our experiences. At the end of the day, it isn’t about me because we all have different things going on in our private lives. For me, it’s about trying to wake you up to what’s happening within you, around you, in your life and family. It’s like seeing the significant moments of life that are captured in a film; they are the thread that bind everything together, they make up life itself.
The themes at play in your work include family, motherhood, identity, and environmental consciousness, can you give us insight into your creative process?
My work deals with family life and history, personal narrative, and women’s empowerment in society. The body of work for this particular exhibition is about the community that surrounds and supports the child, a generational story. The bigger story is that this series starts with my great-grandmother and extends to the generation of my daughter.
I use Ankara, which I collect as waste fabrics from the tailors in my neighbourhood; otherwise, it would likely end up in a landfill. I see it as going into the community to collect individual stories which start another conversation in my work. I’m drawn to these fabrics because of the sense of belonging they carry. Before they get to the tailor’s hands, they come from various people for different reasons and have unique stories which I know nothing about. As an artist, I appreciate the process of going into the neighbourhood to get the fabrics because of how they also serve as a cultural signifier, reminding you of a particular people or about Africa. Within the work, I use acrylic. I love to find and mix colours that connect the different parts and are right for the specific art piece I’m working on. For my technique, I use collage, traditional painting elements, and sometimes, I use paper. Each of these mediums contributes to the story. Ankara fabrics have their own intricate designs. I take the fabric and manipulate it to create a very textual feel, which is then layered in a way that enables it to become very textured. I love the feeling of touching and running my hand over the material while I work.
The power of generational stories
As an artist represented by Rele, and the second person to have an exhibition at its new London home, how exciting is it to see the gallery grow on the global contemporary art landscape?
It’s exciting and a thing of pride that Rele is expanding, taking the gallery to new spaces. There’s Lagos, Los Angeles, and now London. I’ve worked with Aderenle (founder of Rele Gallery) for a long time; she has always had a forward vision for expansion and finding ways to keep the conversation going. It’s beautiful to see this happening and be part of the story. It’s an opportunity to share our story and show the diversity and richness coming out of the continent. I also think it helps to promote and show more nuance and understanding of our practice in Africa. Without a doubt, it’s inspiring, and I believe it will inspire other artists to continue to pursue their goals.
What’s the role of storytelling in your work, and why do narratives centred on family hold significance for you? How do you integrate this into your artistic endeavours?
I’m inspired by and drawn to generational stories. My body of work is not solely about me. There are portraits of other people around me: family, friends, and colleagues I’m intrigued by. I happen to be a vessel through which other people can also see themselves, which makes it beyond me or my personal story. But it helps while creating, that it’s a familiar history. Nobody fell from the sky; we all came from somewhere. In this particular body of work, when you look closely, you’ll find my characters are in very mundane settings, like children having lunch or playing, father and children lying on a mat.
These are not matters of major concern. However, when you look at daily life, I think they hold a lot of relevance and significance, and point to the bigger issues in society. In Good Times, we see children having a conversation around lunch. Sometimes, you find that as adults, we rarely have conversations. We don’t have time to really see ourselves and talk. In Sweet Holiday, the children are gathered around a car and playing with it. Their focus is on the car, and they are working together to achieve a common goal. InLove for Country, which was inspired by an event at my daughter’s school, it was a day for children and their parents; they had entertainment activities which included a cultural dance presentation from different countries. It was meant to inspire us to be patriotic to our country. However, it got me thinking about how we can make the world a better place for them. As children, they’ve entertained us. As parents, how do we reciprocate and make sure the world is safer for them? So that beyond the stage, they have a good and safe environment to thrive in.
“There are some stories that need to be told. There are some stories which, when told, there are consequences. Nevertheless, I think the stories still need telling.”
Your artistic journey centres the pivotal role of women in society. From your inaugural solo exhibition, She Was Not Dreaming in 2018, to Daughters of Esan: The Alpha Generation In 2021, at Rele Gallery, Lagos and Los Angeles respectively. Joy of More Worlds, follows the trajectory of using your work to explore the themes of female empowerment, identity, and motherhood. What’s the role of gender, in particular, within the African context in your art? Why do you believe it’s imperative to empower women through artistic expression, fostering dialogue without confrontation, yet addressing complex issues of equality and equity?
I use most of my work to advocate for women’s education because I believe it’s the surest way of empowerment. When you are equipped with knowledge, you are aware. You are also able to do more. As the saying goes, ‘When you educate a woman, you educate a generation’. I’m drawn to women’s stories and use my work to talk about educating them. For example, my first solo exhibition, She Was Not Dreaming, was focused on this subject. In all the artwork from that series, you will find young women with books. I was using the books as a metaphor and symbol of education and empowerment. My second exhibition, Daughters of Esan, was about my daughter’s generation and the community that surrounds and supports them, like close family members. There’s a particular artwork where you see my two daughters and I, lying down and doing homework, ensuring that knowledge is passed down from one generation to the other. In Joy of More Worlds, it’s still focused on my daughter’s generation but it has expanded to include more people: immediate family, members of the extended family and friends.
Art as a tool of environmental consciousness
What’s the significance of memories in your art? Why is it important for you to capture, preserve, and immortalise memories, especially those of your loved ones on canvas?
I’m drawn to telling stories that capture life’s memories because of the connection we have to one another. Nobody is an island. You’re connected to someone who’s connected to another person and there’s an invisible thread that binds us together. Wanting to document things is about the need to tell stories and share it with other people. For example, the body of work that makes up Joy of More Worlds is based on photographs. I’m drawn to pictures and I love photography. Sometimes, we take pictures to capture the moment. When you stumble upon them two or five years later, you remember the period they was taken. It’s no longer just about a picture, it’s about the people within the photograph, the composition, and being able to see people in their natural, everyday life for the ordinary people they are. It’s not a portrait where you pose and present yourself in a certain way. It’s not planned. It’s about capturing that one moment. Our generation, thanks to the mobile phone, finds it a lot easier to capture moments, save and share them, unlike the period of my great-grandmother. I think that’s why I’m drawn to them.
Your use of discarded Ankara fabrics, epitomises the convergence of art, upcycling, and sustainability. Your unwavering dedication to this approach is unmistakable. How does your commitment to environmental responsibility shape your artistic vision and objectives? Is this a calling or the current phase in your creative journey, and as you evolve as an artist, how do you envision this aspect of your work developing?
Being an artist is a calling. My art is a calling. I take pleasure in what I do, knowing that’s what I’m created to do. I also think that as artists, we respond to our environment because the use of fabric was born out of a need to create work that documents one’s existence. I also think I’m responding to a need where environmental sustainability is concerned because these fabrics are readily available and I have access to them to create. I like the fact that I’m able to give these fabrics a second opportunity, instead of just trashing them in a landfill, defacing the planet, before they find their way into the sea. I’m one person doing what I can in my own corner. I’m sure there are many more artists who also use fabric, and it all adds up. I believe the work will continue to evolve as I respond to my environment and remain open.
An artist’s responsibility is to put the work out there. You can’t determine how people interpret or relate to the work. Nevertheless, what are some conversations you at least hope the work will provoke especially as it relates to the essence of human experience?
I hope the work provokes conversations about women and children in society, as well as the role of family. I’d like us to think about the next generation, and how we are making the world a better place for them. And I want the work to help us appreciate the moments we have in our individual lives. I created the work to spark joy, care, warmth, and love. These are the feelings I wanted to share, and I hope the work communicates those emotions.
Joy of More Worlds is currently showing at Rele Gallery.
