| Uli is an expression of the people's capacity | | | | cultural tradition. It fully developed among |
| for creative design, which is firmly rooted | | | | teachers and students in the 1970s at the |
| in their myths and their experience of life | | | | University in Nsukka and was linked to |
| in the past, present and future. At its best, | | | | renewed interest in Igbo culture after the |
| it is an expression of their synthetic | | | | destructive Biafran War. |
| present, the epic of their search for a new | | | | |
| order in the contemporary world. It is my | | | | Traditional uli motifs, now rarely painted on |
| traditional art style, which I have fallen in | | | | human bodies or walls, have a strong linear, |
| love with all over again and it is a | | | | often curvilinear, quality. The art makes use |
| privilege to share uli with you in my works. | | | | of contrasts between positive and negative |
| It has been shown that the knowledge of uli | | | | space, its images at times appearing as sky |
| motifs and symbols and their application | | | | constellations. Uli's lyrical qualities |
| enables one to identify the traditional Igbo | | | | express harmony and brevity. It is art style |
| artifacts, giving validity to the people's | | | | that has often been created in freedom and |
| aesthetic intelligence and judgment. This | | | | spontaneity. "Uli is a pride heritage". Uli |
| culture is one of the first known cultures of | | | | motifs generally refer to images of everyday |
| the world in the recorded archeologically | | | | Igbo life, farm and cooking tools, pots, |
| facts to have done bronze casting. (Igboukwu | | | | plants, birds, animals, the sun, the moon, |
| bronze). | | | | and the kola nut, though some are pure |
| | | | design. For ceremonial occasions and |
| Uli symbols may be said to show graphically | | | | important events, skilled Igbo female artists |
| how the organic forms grow outwards from the | | | | painted uli to add beauty to the human body |
| core of those elements to point, line, | | | | and the walls of buildings and compounds. Uli |
| triangle, square and circle that are | | | | has made her way in modern social settings; |
| universal to the concentric circle at the | | | | on sculptural surfaces and on paper, board, |
| periphery, which contains reflections of | | | | and canvas, framed and hung on walls in |
| everyday world as seen by the artists. Just | | | | homes, institutions, and galleries of the |
| as the inner circle reflects the uncommon | | | | world. |
| reality or ritual reality of the cultural | | | | |
| existence, so the outer circle is in contact | | | | Magic of Uli Lines, which is an extended dot |
| with the human and ecological reality, which | | | | or a moving point, has very many |
| it expresses. | | | | possibilities, particularly, the quickly |
| | | | drawn one. My drawing explores the evocative |
| Artistic activities at Enugu formed part of | | | | and lyrical possibilities of line and derives |
| the early post-1960 independence developments | | | | from Uli. The Uli artist works spontaneously |
| in the country. There was the growing local | | | | whether on the human body or the wall. There |
| and international popularity of Nigerian | | | | is no question of erasing or cleaning. There |
| novelists, dramatists, poets, literary | | | | is something about the spontaneously executed |
| critics, architects, artists, and musicians, | | | | work, a breathtaking vitality and freshness |
| and scholars. Interesting collaborations took | | | | that defy description or repetition. |
| place among those in the literary performing, | | | | |
| and visual arts, particularly in southern | | | | An analysis of Igbo drawing and painting |
| Nigeria. The efforts and artistic lives of | | | | reveals that space, line pattern, brevity and |
| these minds sowed a flourishing seed for an | | | | spontaneity seem to be the pillars on which |
| uncommon global harvest. I give thanks to God | | | | the rich tradition and heritage rests. It is |
| for these great minds, your outstanding | | | | these unique qualities that I strive for, |
| contributions will not be forgotten. | | | | both intuitive and intellectually to |
| | | | assimilate in my work. Intuitively, because |
| Uli creations relied heavily on drawing | | | | during my years of studying and looking at |
| skills whose content is based largely on Igbo | | | | Igbo sculpture, drawing and painting, various |
| culture, particularly female body and wall | | | | aspects of design and recurrent motifs have |
| painting called uli and on Igbo tales, | | | | become internalized in my system and |
| ceremonies, and beliefs. The revival of | | | | inevitably surface unconsciously in the |
| interest in uli through contemporary art had | | | | course of executing my aesthetic challenges. |
| begun with Uche Okeke in the 1960s, when | | | | It is perhaps needless to add that the great |
| Nigeria's independence produced a growing | | | | works of art is a result of the harmonious |
| sense of freedom from colonial restraints on | | | | marriage of intellect and intuition. |