Phyllis Galembo ~ "Ojuju Calabar"

As a child, anytime i wanted to scare my little brother,i threatened him with the prospect of 'ojuju calabar' coming to get him. He would cry, and I would laugh (harmless sibling fun). The look of the menacing masquerades covered in grass from head to toe revealing just their cut out eyes forever stuck in my mind. Phyllis Galembo  started photographing people in festival costumes in the 1970s. Her interest in ritual costumes continued after a 1985 trip to Nigeria, where she photographed traditional priests and priestesses & years later explored Calabar, Cross River and Benin by show casing the cultural significance of the costumes, capturing the astonishing colors and creativity of the elaborate attires. I love the vibrant colors used for the costumes and masks. Im intrigued about the stories and myths surrounding them and  its hard to think why i was once scared of them. "Ojuju Calabar" looks pretty darn fabulous from where I'm sitting. 

              Affianwan, Calabar South, Nigeria

                                                                             Mami Wata Mask, Cross River, Nigeria,
                                                              Minor Ekpe Masquerade with Mango Leaves, Calabar South
                                                                                      Ekpe, Calabar South, Nigeria
                                                           elede Masquerade, Agonli-Houegbo Village, Benin,
                                                                                   Ekong Ikon Ukom, Calabar, Nigeria
                                                     Egungun, Djidjimbo Safou Ognon Warrior, Adandokpodji Village, Benin

                                                 

 OtogheToghe, Aromgba Village, Nigeria

                                                                                Koko Ekpo, Calabar South, Nigeria
                                                                                 Ekpokang, Calabar South, Nigeria,

                                                                           Mustapha Masquerade, Calabar South, Nigeria
                Ekpeyong Edet Dance Group, Calabar, Nigeria
                  Okpo Masquerade, Calabar South, Nigeria
                         Creek Town Youth Group Ekpo Masquerade, Calabar, Nigeria
                                                                                             Akata Dance Masquerade, Cross River, Nigeria
                                                                Nnabo Dance Group, Akpabuyo Village, Cross River, Nigeria
                          Ekpo, Calabar South, Nigeria
                                                   Egbele Dance Masquerade, Osibi, Cross River, Nigeria
                           Jaguar style or Ekong-Itaghafon, Calabar, Nigeria
               Baby Dance of Etikpe, Cross River, Nigeria
                     Ngar Ball Traditional Masquerade Dance, Cross River, Nigeria
                                                                                      Atam Masquerader, Alok Village, Nigeria
                                        Elap Warrior Masquerade dance, Nkum Abanyum, Cross River, Nigeria
 "These times are the masquerade of the eternities". Ralph Waldo                                                 

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner ~ David Agbodji

This oiled up French-Nigerian masterpiece is the first black male model EVER to open and close a Calvin Klein menswear runway show in Milan last summer. These glorious pictures are of his new nude CK campaign and him walking in the Spring/Summer 2010 show. Now, THIS is AFRICA. Breakfast, lunch AND dinner, any day.

CAN I GET SOME FRIES WITH THAT SHAKE, SEXY??

~ROOR presents~ Frozen Inferno 2010.

Renaissance of our Roots (ROOR) is a brand that "produces contemporary clothing with beautiful fabrics from the continent of Africa" . Its run by three fabulous Nigerian ladies (Dami, Ekaete, and Rotimi). Their A/W 2010 collection showcased at a show hosted by the Fashion Mavericks, at the Strand Palace Hotel during London Fashion Week. I love the 'Frozen inferno' theme because of its avant garde style but more importantly, their creativity, especially when it comes to manipulating fabrics into beautiful structural pieces. Their use of aso-oke & Hayes material (the crisp fabric used to make geles/ head ties) is very impressive. The ROOR collection envisages 'what a future African ice age would look like'. Love their fashion forward approach. Definitely a brand to watch. Check out their website for more information: roordesign.com

                                                                        ♡

~The Colour of the wind ~ Chidi Okoye.

" I have never wanted to paint at this age for the love I have for sculpture, but all that changed when I was confronted by the cold wind of Canada," says Chidi. "I lacked space which is vital for huge sculptures, and even for the small ones. The only option was to get some canvases and work in my room, which was not the best of places to work. But at the time it was the best— at least to save my fingers from the frost bits of cold wind."

Beautiful words by Nigerian born Chidi A. Okoye. The breathtakingly talented sculptor/painter trained at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, and was Lecturer in Fine Arts for six years at Federal Polytechnic in Oko, Nigeria.  Chidi's re-location to the Vancouver was a struggle at first & he braved through the cold winter nights by painting canvases of his feelings. The results are an inspiringly colorful and emotional collection of poetry and painting which depicts the richness of his culture and heritage. Okoye manages to take us through his emotions, nostalgia, love & pride of where he comes from & what he believes in. There is something honest about his work, so honest, its endearing. Paintings are available for purchase at www.chidi.com. Would make a fabulous mothers day pressie. 

                                                                                                                  ~Dearest~

                                                                          ~Mothers dance~

                                                                    

       

                                                                   ~Mothers Song~

                                                                   ~Sweet mother~

                                                                         ~Fatima~

                                                                ~Midnight melody~

                                                                     ~Mothers symphony~
                                                                

~Before the thrown of grace~

                                                               

                                                                 ~the healing dancers~ 

                                                                   

"The move has helped me to appreciate the richness of the african sun, hence a color scheme to reflect my world"-Chidi Okoye