Human Resources

Uchay Joel Chima, born in 1971, is an Igbo Nigerian contemporary artist, who was brought up in Enugu, also known as the “coal city”. It is evident in his art that he has a pronounced sentimental attachment to the town considering that he uses coal as one of his expressive media. The artist, expressing his connection says, “I have no doubt in my mind that growing up in Enugu, a city with a picturesque backdrop, green landscape, an abundance of parks with perfectly groomed lush grass fields, carved flower beds, and a plethora of fruit trees, played a huge role in molding the artist I am today.” Another gift which the town bestowed on him was the troupe of artists that practiced in the town. At the age of fifteen, Uchay was fortunate to see the Aka Group show at the Presidential Hotel in Enugu. At that age, he was fascinated by works of great masters, the likes of Nsikak Essien, El Anatsui, Bona Ezeudu, Chris Afuba, Obiora Udechuckwu, Tayo Adenike, Boniface Okafor, Obiora Anidi, Tony Umunna and dreamed to become like them. This motivated him to study Fine Arts at the Institute of Management and Technology Enugu, where he graduated with a H.N.D. in 1997. His early contact with the artists significantly influenced his works on canvas and in the same city, Uchay produced his early works which consisted mostly of landscapes, human figures and life compositions all inspired by his childhood home.

At first glance, Uchay’s mixed media piece “Human Resources” implies a gathering of people as abstract looking heads of various sizes occupy the surface area. The artist began exploring the theme as a series in 2008, and the works were first featured at his solo show “Much Strings Attached”, in ARC Gallery, London, UK in 2009. The works interrogate the abundance of resources in Nigeria, especially human resources. As the title implies in this piece, he manipulates sac bags (grain sacs and Ghana must go bags) and twine to depict people. Uchay in his usual bid to attach his materials to his subject, uses food sacs to imply “beings" because “we are what we eat”. He also employs the twine to indicate the notions of friendship, bonding, togetherness, intimacy, entanglement and oneness, since they resonate sayings like “a three-fold cord is not easily broken”, or the proverbial “Igwe bu ike” in igbo which means “there is strength in unity”.

Rendering human beings by knotting and tying, the artist arrived at bulging sacs which formed the head, neck and draperies of the relief abstract figures. According to Achugwo (2019), The knots and draperies represent Nigerians dressed in traditional wears. The artist makes the heads at the bottom the largest, reducing the sizes as they go up. Some heads come together more than others, suggesting whispering and conversations. Uchay, through this presentation, tries to convey that every human contains a goldmine of ceaseless potential but while some live with the awareness of what they contain, many never discover theirs and are lost in the crowd. Laying emphasis on Nigeria’s current situation, particularly the crude oil in the southern parts, there has been much more focus on this resource in the Nation than the much needed investment in manpower development and since we live in an era where many jobs are being automated, the consequences are ominous. Being a nation blessed with over 200 million people, it is sad that the school system is disheartening as it fails for inadequate funding and it lacks consensus as to how to prepare the next generation for the world they will inherit.

Proffering solution to the negligence of human resources through the qualities of his materials and positioning of forms, Uchay infers a need to re-evaluate and strengthen our relationships with those around us despite the dire circumstances, with the intent of supporting one another through current global difficulties and challenges. Furthermore, the artist resolves that when the people are empowered, great opportunities abound, the nation grows stronger and in his words, “the 'Giant' ceases to walk on clutches.”