The first solo show by US-based Izu Okwuobasi was nostalgic and a commentary on the experiences of Nigerian migrants in the West.
Tales of woes of Nigerians who left the country in search of the proverbial golden fleece in the West have dominated the news recently. There have been heartbreaking reports of Nigerians who sold all their property to travel abroad but ended up relying on charity.
Videos of some Nigerians in Canada sleeping in camps have been circulating online recently. Earlier this week, the International Organisation for Migration’s (IOM) Head of Chief in Nigeria, Laurent De Boeck, disclosed that over 1,000 Nigerians are stranded in the United Kingdom after receiving fake employment letters.
Though the sad tales are many, the positive stories of Nigerians who succeed abroad also abound. That is the case of US-based Nigerian photographer and engineer Izu Okwuobasi, who gave art lovers in Lagos a Christmas delight with his first solo exhibition entitled ‘Obodo Oyinbo: The Million Mile Experience’ on December 16 and 17.
Held at the Untitled Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos, the show featured captivating photographs of places and people in the United States. The dreadlocks-wearing artist described the show as multi-faceted, deeply personal, and uniquely portraying America through a Nigerian lens.
An engineer who primarily works on construction sites, Okwuobasi disclosed that his job brought him to picturesque locations, fuelling a need to capture and document them.
“My career at the time, as a field/construction engineer, became the vessel for my exploration of America. It led me to the corners of the country that narratives often leave untouched – the swamps, plains, mountains, and quiet towns with stories waiting to be told.
“’The Million Mile’ is a metaphor for all Nigerians’ collective miles of migration out of Nigeria in search of greener pastures. It is also a metaphor for all the miles I’ve travelled to capture these photos and bring you this experience.”
“My father, alongside his brothers, ventured to America in pursuit of ‘greener pastures,’ a journey many from our homeland of Nigeria have aspired to. Tragically, his life was cut short, assassinated just three days after I turned 18. His untimely death left a void and a legacy I felt compelled to continue,” he said.
Captured over five years, the artist explained that every photograph on display holds a special feeling for him.
“As I traversed this vast land, I captured moments of raw beauty and truth: horses galloping across a Native American reservation in North Dakota, the solemnity of a Civil War graveyard in Vicksburg, the haunting silence of run-down towns like Brooksville, and the iconic grandeur of Mount Rushmore. These photographs, shared online, resonated with many, revealing an America beyond the silver screen and postcards, the ‘real America.
“As we stand at the five-year mark of this journey, it is time to weave these threads into a narrative that not only pays homage to my father’s memory but also invites viewers to see America through another set of eyes – the eyes of a young Nigerian bound by hope, loss and the relentless pursuit of a dream.”
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