Portfolio — Favour Agumadu

Reflective Document

This Favour Agumadu works encompasses mainly a series titled Origin. These works are primarily made with canvas, large photography background papers, glitters and other mixed media. They are either and neither 2d or 3d artworks. I like to call it a 2.5d because it breaks the barrier of the common understanding of two dimensional and 3 dimensional artworks. Looking at them from a distance at times can give you a feeling that its made with leather but its basically paper and canvas glued together giving it a firm standing exoskeleton that can stand and yet be rolled.

IJE: Journey (Origin Series)

Ije which is an Igbo word that means “Journey” is an artwork that is inspired by my tradition, the “Igbo” tradition. Over a few months, I have been going back to find the origin of the Igbos. I went more than two centuries back but it was not enough. In the cause of my research, some scholars believe that Igbos are part of the missing tribes of Israel. I have heard this theory before, but I don’t even know if I believe it. Although certain of our traditions concur with Israel traditions like bride price. Personally, I know my ancestors were fish merchants and travelled a lot. Was it because of trade my ancestors came down to Nigeria? I cannot tell. This research motivated me to create this work that looks like a map of no exact destination.

Title: Ije (Origin Series)

Medium: Canvas, paper, glitters, eyelets, yarn, black coffee, jute rope and acrylic.

Size: 43” x 51”

Year: 2023

IME MMUO: Spirit man (Origin Series)

Ime Mmuo which simply means spirit man is a demonstration of what runs within humanity, what controls us, a connection with our creator. It is a demonstration of my journey going back to my creator through my mind seeking meaning to my existence. Unlike my other works, I left this piece without boarder to show how broad the human mind can be. The flames show control of the creator.

Title: Ime Mmuo (Origin Series)

Medium: Canvas, paper, glitters, grommet, yarn, oil and acrylic.

Size: 46” x 67”

Year: 2023

IJE 2 (ORIGIN SERIES)

The contrast of black creating a void when glitters is applied draws my attention to depth, spirituality and travel through time. The movement of the jute rope was allowed to go beyond a 2d understanding by piercing through the work all the way to the back. In the context of Ije which means journey is signified by the movement of the jute rope. It’s not just any kind of journey to me but the journey of the Igbo people right from the civil war they lost in 1970 to Nigeria, to their movement through time and places making striking relevance to themselves and people around them. Apart from the jute rope, the pattern of installation of the artwork tells me to go round it is breaking the barrier of 2d entering a 2.5d dimension.

Title: Ije 2 (Origin Series)

Medium: Canvas, paper, glitters, eyelets, grommets, yarn, jute rope and acrylic.

Size: 60” x 106”

Year: 2023

UKWU UCCOR

Where I live, there was a tree centred in the market. The tree was called Ukwu Uccor also known as the Uccor tree. The tree is over 100 years old judging by the roots and the heavy stem. It’s believed that evil spirits reside in the tree; I do believe that too. Due to it has stayed long in the area, the market was established under it and the entire street was called Ukwu Uccor.

Calamity came when the tree fell around 2013. It took blood and tears. It was later said that a mad man (mentally deranged man) foretold the fall that evening before it fell but no one listened. The fall of this monument of nature took over 300 lives.

This story inspired me to make this sculpture.

Title: Ukwu Uccor

Medium: Plastic, aluminium, buttons, acrylic, oil and wood

Size: 24” x 18” x 18”

Year: 2023

CITY ON THE HILL (ORIGIN SERIES)

The hair was the most exciting part of the work for me when I was creating this 2.5d work. I initially wanted to make the background black as my other artworks, but the coloured and grey paints fit the narrative I am working on which is slavery. In the 16 centuries, slaves were taken from Africa to Columbia. Their hair was shaved off to erase any form of identity. But when their hair started growing, they plaited their hair and used it as a map to escape to a safe city. This was an encoded message and only the slaves knew it. The long-plaited hair in the middle of this 2.5d work signifies the pathways some will follow to escape. I feel a lot of African history were lost during the slave regime; I am working to find them out.

Title: City on the hill

Medium: Canvas, paper, eyelets, grommets, synthetic hair, yarn and acrylic.

Size: 112” x 71”

Year: 2023

NOTES

This work titled “Notes” and feelings is both philosophical and intellectual. I translated the rhythm of the music I listened to into paintings and that resulted in the scribbling on the paper. The large print was a successful experiment representing the mind of a musical writer. This artwork is a pair and they were done simultaneously within two weeks. The works when literally joined together form a single work with each side lapping comfortably against each other.

Title: Notes

Medium: Glitters, acrylic and yarns on paper

Size: 125cm × 149cm

FEELINGS

Like I said earlier, this work is a pair. This one titles “Feelings” stands for how the human mind that is not the writer or creator interprets music. It also shows how weak our minds can be. The rip at the left top side of the artwork was a mistake but I decided to stitch it together and called that area “happy accident”.

Title: Feelings

Medium: Glitters, acrylic and yarns on paper

Size: 124cm × 150cm

Artist: Agumadu Favour C.

NOT WANTING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MY GRADES (Silence series)

This work was like freedom to me of how I truly feel and not doing to please anyone. Sometimes when you are a student, its as if you are weighed and still found wanting despite putting in effort. I remember a friend of mine asking me, if I was happy with my grades, I was completely silent. That was how the title of the work came about.

Title: Not Wanting To Say Anything About My Grades (Silence Series)

Medium: Wood, Copper, , glitters, iron and yarn

TRAPPED (Silence Series)

While studying and making research on mental health care patients. I realised some of them have split identities. At some point, they’re happy while at some other they’re aggressive. This work tries to portray how trapped someone can be in different identities and how hard one can try to pull themself together despite the odds. It shows how powerless one can be to certain emotions like rage and depression. There is a hand in the middle of the work that shows struggle. Most (patients) take solace in music. This research is based on healing broken minds. So I say Don’t give up. If you’re going through such a struggle, don’t give up on yourself. Jesus loves you. Give him a chance if you haven’t and watch healing come.

Title: Trapped (Silence Series)

Medium: Glitter, yarn and acrylic on thick paper

Size: 178cm × 170cm

I DON’T WANT TO TALK TO ANYONE (Silence Series)

While working as a health care assistant. I came across a young girl who was illl. She finds it difficult to eat. After answering a phone call to a loved one, she started crying and cried for hours. When I approached her, I could literally feel her pain. Her tears rolled down continuously. I maintained professional ethics as a health care assistant to verbally calm her down. She replied in pain “I don’t want to talk to anyone “. This statement touched me regarding so much pain she has been through. It resulted me making this sculptural piece. The tilted copper wires reminds me of how her hair was bent while she was crying on the hospital bed. This led me to look more and understand what emotional break down looks like.

Title: I Don’t Want To Talk To Anyone! (Silence Series)

Medium: Wood, mirror card, copper, and metal buttons

Artist: Agumadu Favour C.