By Evelyn Osagie
Twenty nineteen was a good year for documentary photography and widely-travelled artist Philips Akwari. Through his groundbreaking historic and cultural exhibition, ‘The Rich Abiriba Heritage’, he has become a leading ambassador of his hometown, Abiriba in Abia State.
Throughout last year, Akwari took the ancient city of Abiriba in Abia State across Nigeria through his lens, showcasing the culture, festival and people of the place.
The high point of the artist was the unveiling of Akwari and Uche Iroha (Airo), an indigenous music artist, as brand Ambassador for the Zorah brand power bank by the CEO/Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc, Elder U.K Eke. The feat was due to Akwari’s contribution to the promotion of Abiriba cultural heritage to the world through his exhibition, it was said.
2020 is looking great as the artist says he is determined to take his exhibition beyond the country’s shores as his travel exhibition has gone into top gear.
Beginning from The Thought Pyramid in Lagos, the exhibition train, which travelled to Abuja and Enugu State, recently berthed at Abiriba for his just-concluded edition.
While the Lagos, Abuja and Enugu exhibitions were meant to showcase the rich Abiriba heritage to the world, according to Akwari, the Abiriba exhibition was meant to remind the people how much a treasure they have.
Guests and visitors were taken on a journey through the socio-cultural history of the place. Akwari’s lens captured in true quintessence the Abiriba’s worldview via cultural celebrations, architecture, marriage, fashion, symbols and community self-help projects.
It was indeed an uncommon homecoming event for all, one that fosters unity and communalism, it was said.
Akwari says the move was deliberate. “Abiriba usually works with event calendars during the festive periods which usually bring sons and daughters of the land together.
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It became expedient not only to hold it during one of such periods but also to have it on the only free day throughout the season. Every other day is filled with activities which will make it hard for people to attend the exhibition.
“The Abiriba exhibition marks the end of the series of the Rich Abiriba Heritage. It was meant to teach the younger generations of Abiriba people the values of the people and the need to preserving them.
It was combined with local music exhibition by Uche Iroha “Airo” and was co-sponsored by Zorah Konsults Limited, dealers in multifunctional power bank,” he says.
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.
On his part, the monarch, the Enachioken of Abiriba, His Majesty, Eze Kalu Kalu Ogbu, describes Akwari’s exhibits as “beautiful work of art”.
“’It was noteworthy that history of Abiriba is being presented pictorially. What a wonderful way of presenting our history, culture and people.
Ordinarily, people would not have remembered all these things but as one sees each picture, in a nutshell, one is able recall and tell the history of Abiriba at a glance.”
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