The rich cultural heritage of an ancient Igbo ethnic group, Abiriba, in Abia State, came alive at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ikoyi, when an award-winning African Culture Curator, Philips Akwari, held his photo exhibition. Akwari’s lens unveils to the world the story of the ancient Igbo tribe, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.
A journey in nostalgia
It was a homecoming event for the people of ancient city of Abiriba, Abia State, when geographer turned documentary photographer, Philips Akwari, stormed Lagos with his cultural cum historical photo exhibition on the community.
Led by their monarch, the Enachioken of Abiriba, His Majesty, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, they came to celebrate its rich cultural heritage but left the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ikoyi, where it was held with a feeling of nostalgia.
With the theme:The Rich Abiriba Heritage, Akwari, an award-winning African Culture Curator, took guests on a journey back to the socio-cultural history of the place. His lens captured in true quintessence the Abiriba’s worldview via cultural celebrations, architecture, marriage, fashion, symbols and community self-help projects.
“Moving round the exhibition was very nostalgic for me. Each time I see any of the session, I’d say to myself: ‘Ah, I have almost forgotten this one ‘, began the monarch as he took guest into the historical background of each of exhibits. “It felt so nice recounting our history to all, especially the young ones in our midst. There is beauty in creating pictorial position of things. Ordinarily, people would not have remembered all these things but as one sees each picture it, in a nutshell, one is able recall and tell the history of Abiriba in a very simple method. I think it is a very beautiful work of art”
Shot between 2013 and 2018, some of the pictures were taken during the actual celebrations, while others are architecture and streets of well known landmarks in the place. Although the exhibition, which is powered by the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, berthed in Lagos, it would be making its next stop at its Abuja centre, it was said.
In his 36 photo displays, Akwari reveals the story of an ancient Igbo tribe – its people, history, language, culture, dance, food and art – a fact, that guests, particularly the monarch, said they found most fascinating.
Of neo-cultural reawakening
”To be candid, this exhibition is an eye opener for all of us. What the young man has done is just the beginning; if he finishes all this his travel exhibitions and doesn’t come back to Abiriba to exhibit it, it would make no sense. This is because, it is the people that it is targeted at, and then, the entire world should also see it. But let us start from home. After the exhibition here, the next one would be at Abuja, I would urge him to present it in Abiriba in December to give hope to the younger generation who may have forgotten everything about the culture in Abiriba. This is a very good way of starting unique socio-cultural reawakening,” Eze Ogbu noted.
For 14-year-old Rebecca, “It was a unique experience”. A secondary school pupil based in Lagos said it was a history class. “I gained a lot of knowledge and made some discoveries about our culture which I did not know before as our Eze took us through the history of each of the photographs. I was particularly amazed at the lawmaking and marriage systems of Abiriba, which are very impressive and which I didn’t know about before coming.”
Also at the event were the Eze Ihungwu Abiriba, Eze Ukiwo U. Ukiwo; the GMD of FBN Holdings Plc, Elder U.K Eke; His Royal Majesty Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu (The Enachioken of Abiriba); the CEO, Ady’s Foodmart, Mrs Adanne Uche; Prof Anya O. Anya, Elder Mrs Inyang Anya.
Akwari’s motivation
Growing up in his hometown, Agbouka Udanta in Amogudu, Abiriba, Ohafia LGA, Abia State, Akwari stated, shaped his understanding of the local culture as he had his early education within the community and participated in the traditional ceremonies. And the thought of telling its story has been his motivation.
“Chinua Achebe said “If you don’t tell your stories, other people will tell it for you”. And a lot of people will be very reckless in telling your stories. That is why I am doing what I do, so as to have a position for us to be able to tell our stories. The story captured in the picture that is coming to the world now is the true story of Abiriba. At the exhibition His Majesty, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, the Enachioken of Abiriba, took out time to explain each of the picture, and a lot of what he said were very deep stories, some of which I heard for the first time. Like the origin of the Nzu (the traditional white chalk), an emblem of peace – it’s my first time of hearing that the essence of the Nzu was to get people coming back to the community.
“Abiriba was one of the few original kingdoms in traditional Igboland and existed as a well-organised city state as far back as the 15th Century. Additionally, Abiriba traditions are original in the sense that they evolved directly from the history of the people and are not borrowed. I am happy that for the first time ever, its rich and authentic culture of our ancient Igbo clan came alive,” he stated.
Akwari holds B.Sc and Masters degrees in Geography from the Universities of Nigeria, Nsukka and Ibadan respectively. In 2012, he bagged a Diploma in Photography and Videography from the Craft Film School in New Delhi, India.
Akwari’s 2017 photo of Lagos was published by the World Finance Magazine. In 2015, his photo was also among the Best 30 Selection in the IAM Alive photo contest organised by Nikon Nigeria. In 2014, he won the Best Lagos Photo Award organised by Taskdirect, an affiliate of Zinox computers.
Akwari is a mentee at the Nlele Institute for Contemporary Arts, Lagos; and has trained over 30 aspiring photographers in the skill acquisition scheme programme of the House that Wisdom Built Ministry. The event’s media publicity is being managed by Nedum Omafodezi.
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