The Meeting Point

J.O Ugoji was a modern Nigerian artist born in Mbawsi, Imo State in 1917. He was part of the early modernists trained to be an art educator by the British trainer, Kenneth Murray in Umuahia in the 1930’s. Before that he had studied art at Uyo Teacher Training College. He went on to obtain a Diploma in audiovisual graphic art from Ohio University Education Project Centre, Ibadan. Not much is recorded about Ugoji as an artist, as he spent the larger part of his career as an educator teaching in different schools/colleges across the east, west and southern parts of the country between 1941 and 1957. Thus, his service was instrumental in spreading the canon of modern art across the country in the 20th century. As an artist, he had two notable solo exhibitions in Ibadan (1951) and at the Exhibition Centre, Marina, Lagos (1953) and also participated in some group exhibitions including the The Living Art of the Igbo, Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1977) among others. He was posthumously inducted as a Fellow of the Asele Insitute, Nimo in 1985.

The Meeting Point depicts is a scene of busy men and women fetching water from a set of somewhat deep wells. The men, who are generally more energetic and strong compared to the women, can be noticed to be more involved, as fetchers, in the strenuous act of drawing the water from the subsurface with fetching troughs. Ichummiri, the art of fetching water (from rivers, wells and lakes) is very common among Ndigbo, the Igbo People, and is an indigenous tradition among Africans in general. The fetcher on the right can be seen being supported by a woman with outstretched hands on one of his legs to provide some needed energy and balance as he pulls the heavy water-filled fetching trough from the well. Vessels like metallic basins, wooden and clay pots are normally used and are carried by women on their heads during this exercise. Ugoji’s unique rendition of the landscape comprising of palm trees and lush vegetation is epic in every sense. The painting is a good reflection on the communal life of the African people, the site of a well or stream generally brings people in the community together.