Sunday, 7 April 2019

Why the Smile?

Sunday, April 07, 2019 0

|| Cubicexpressionism || Akadile Arts || 2019
Art comes alive to us when we give it the right interpretation. Everyone is entitled to his or her perspective of life. The interpretation we give to life is dependent on our perspective to it. This is what makes us who we are and also differentiates us from others.

From your own perspective, what can you say about this piece of art?
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Saturday, 6 April 2019

Art and Culture

Saturday, April 06, 2019 0

|| Acrylic on canvas || Akadile Arts ||
The wall was covered with drawings and paintings, some of which the young mind could not fathom. He decided he was going to find out why such a space would be filled with something so boring and so unintelligible. That was his thought though. He set out to study the drawings and the paintings which he regarded as lines and stains on the wall. A closer look at what he thought was just lines and stains reveals patterns carefully crafted onto the wall and meticulously painted with colours that say more than just anything. What would he call this? he imagined: Life displayed in paint!

Art is more than just drawings and paintings. It is part of our culture. We use it to express ideas and emotions which we may not really have the opportunity to say verbally or put in print. It goes beyond entertainment to promote our cultural beliefs.

Art is in the heart of African culture. It is a tool used by Africans to express their belief.
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Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Urhobo People of Nigeria

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 2


A people so unique and so distinctively peaceful, the Urhobo people (constituting the major ethnic group in Delta state of Nigeria) is one of such people groups who do not readily come to mind when Nigerian culture is mentioned, partly because their culture has not been properly documented or has not been widely observed.

From traditional rendition and reports of few observers and researchers, the Urhobo culture is categorised as part of the major people groups in Nigeria as it has over 2 million people who are called by her name.


What is unique about this people? 

Urhobo Traditional Attire




Unlike some cultures that exist side by side it, Urhobo people are completely dressed when in their traditional attire. Some Nigerian traditional attires allow for the exposure of some parts of the body which should be covered. But, this is not so with this people. Rather, it is traditional for them to cover their bodies.

Although there are a lot of things passed down to us by our fathers in terms of tradition and culture, we reserve the right to choose which ones to continue with, and which ones to drop.



Urhobo Woman in Traditional Attire
Another important thing to note about the Urhobo people is their sufficient use of beads on their traditional attire. Urhobo traditional attire is not complete without beaded accessories. This may be a choice though, but it adds great style to the attire especially the way their women use them.

A look beyond their traditional attire to other parts of their culture may reveal a people who have some festivities and traditional rites which are greatly connected to water or water life due to their closeness to the water body. It is worthy to note at this point that the Urhobo people share a lot in common with the Edo people of Nigeria.

The Urhobos may not be the best people in Nigeria, but their way of life is worth looking into.


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Friday, 8 March 2019

Nigeria and Her Culture

Friday, March 08, 2019 0
Some may have argued that African culture is generally barbaric. Though such persons or groups may have their reasons for saying so, that does not fully define the true nature of African culture.
Nigeria as only one of the 50 African countries there are has a number of people groups. Each of these groups has its own culture and tradition. There are three people groups which readily come to mind whenever Nigerian culture is mentioned. Beyond them are several others, some of whose cultures and traditions are not yet documented.

Nigerian culture is the broad name that covers all the cultures which are found in Nigeria. These cultures differ one from the other due to a lot of reasons. Some of them claim that what they have was passed to them from their ancestors. Yet some others established theirs as a result of something that happened. Whatever reason for which the cultures are established, the truth remains that some aspect of these cultures are beautiful and unique and are worth preserving. 
Although a people may not be separated from their culture, that culture can be modified.
Can we fight a people’s culture yet adopt their fashion? Can we desecrate what a people believe in and at the same time want them to accept us? That won’t work well. A closer look at these cultures may help us to appreciate them for what they are and have a good ground on which to stand while fighting against the parts which we don’t think should continue existing.

If there is any need to peacefully co-exist, then we have to come to terms with the fact that it may not be possible to separate a people from their culture, but that culture can be modified to let go (of such things which stand against healthy human existence) and accept (those things which show improvement and development).

Coming shortly… Uhrobo People of Nigeria
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Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Nature and Fashion

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 2


One would wonder what fashion has to do with nature. Nature is the sum total of a thing; the very qualities and characteristics by which a thing is recognized.

What then is the nature of fashion?

Shall we say that the true nature of fashion is dependent on the person creating her? Maybe not. Fashion, though not restricted to what we put on our body and how that makes us look, has her nature.

In her natural state, fashion is meant to add beauty and style to our dressing and our way of doing things. Over time, people started using fashion to achieve some other purposes. This new approach to fashion completely bastardized her nature and affected her very essence. Once her original and true nature was tampered with, her beauty was gone, and what was left of her was the shadow of her former self.

The beauty of fashion is in its essence which is to add glamour and style to clothing.

What is fashion not?

Someone has once said that on our way to becoming who we must be, we might sometimes imitate people who are ahead of us in the path which we have chosen. We may also need to adjust and re-adjust before we become. But, what happens when we decide to take up another’s image forgetting who we are while hiding under the cover of ‘facial enhancement’? Do we call that fashion too? I hope not.

Fashion does not require us to stop being who we are to become another, it rather requires us to continue being who we are in a unique and beautiful way.

We become better by improving on who we already are rather than trying to become another person.

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Sunday, 24 February 2019

AFRICA

Sunday, February 24, 2019 8

Africa, my Africa
Africa of proud warriors in ancestral savannahs
Africa of whom my grandmother sings
On the banks of distant rivers….
click here

Africa is a people so unique and so distinct. Their peculiarity is marked by their resilient belief in their culture. Although a lot has been attributed to the name Africa, one thing is worthy of note: Africa preserves her cultural heritage with strength and vigour!

Can a leopard change its spots? Or How possible is it for the elephant to cease being a giant? As impossible as those things are, so is it with Africa to lose its cultural heritage in the midst of other conflicting cultures and traditions.

For every culture in Africa, there is a unique fashion which makes it stand out from the others. These different fashions put together give African fashion its uniqueness from the rest fashions of the world.

African fashion is worth investing into.
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Friday, 22 February 2019

Fashion and Culture

Friday, February 22, 2019 1
Fashion and culture are two sides of the same coin. Talking about one without the other is like going to war with a one-edged sword. The culture of a people is their way of life, the very substance that makes them unique. The fashion of that same people is simply the display of their culture.

As I’ve already pointed out in my earlier posts, if we must appreciate fashion, then we must appreciate people’s way of life – culture. Most times when we talk about fashion, we find ourselves drifting into the culture of a people, making references to that culture, and explaining the aspect of fashion we speak about with the elements of that culture.

Although fashion goes beyond the clothes we put on and the accessories that go with them, it has largely been portrayed using our outfit. Other areas of fashion include dance, ceremonies, rituals, etc.

The beauty of fashion is in its appropriateness to the culture it represents!
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