Afikpo Mask

Born 1960 in London, Ndidi Dike showed very early interest in art as a child taking art classes in primary school. After her secondary school she relocated to Nigeria for her tertiary education at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) where she obtained a Diploma in Music Education (voice) and B.A in Fine and Applied Arts (majoring in Mixed Media Painting) in 1984. Passing through the walls of the famous Nsukka Art School had a great influence in her art. She kick-started her career as a solo artist in her hometown, Owerri, right after her one-year mandatory National Youth Service in 1985. Her first solo exhibition Mixed Media Expose was hosted in 1986. Ndidi is one of Nigeria’s leading female artists and has worked in diverse media all through her professional career spanning over three decades. She is a member of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) and also belongs to the Guild of Fine Arts, Nigeria (GFAN).

In Afikpo Mask, Ndidi Dike attempts to explore the dynamic aesthetics of the local masquerade, Mmonwu, of the Afikpo people of Ebonyi state, south-east Nigeria. The different outlooks of the mask are shown on the eleven wooden panels, each with unique facial attributes. Ndidi stylishly identifies with the Uli insignia which the Nsukka Art School was famous for. The presence of uli lines and patterns on the body of the panels gives each mask a unique aesthetic appeal. Her colours, though quiet, draw attention for closer viewing and admiration.