“It is conceivably viewing that materials and objects in this form prepares us all to understand the state of being dead as the beginning of new life, a consciousness of being human” –Olu Amoda

Metal sculptor and visual artist, Olu Amoda was born on the 6^th of February 1959 in the little town of Okere, Warri, Delta state. One of the riverine and oil rich states of the Niger Delta in Nigeria. The cerebral dude is a birth of mixed ethnic parentage, an Itshekiri mother and a Yoruba father, but he sees himself more as Itshekiri person than a Yoruba man. And not only that, he grew up there. Rather, it is a self-conscious proclamation and culturally a norm to claim the mother side, if you were born there. “Surviving and living there was fun for me.”

Olu was just aged seven when Isaac Adaka Boro and his Niger Delta Volunteer Service gave a reawakening commentary to the people of the region in a 12 day revolution, declaring secession from the Nigerian country. “Remember your seventy year old grandmother who still farms before she eats; remember also your poverty stricken people, remember too, your petroleum which is being pumped out daily from your veins and then fight for your freedom.” The revolution was quashed after twelve days.

The sculptor grew in this region richly blessed with natural resources, most importantly oil, but still gets short of good portable water, accessible road network, basic education, lack of electricity. Rather, affected and regaled in environmental degradation, pollution, due to gas flaring by multinational oil corporations. Low mortality rate is the order of the day as healthy living is non-existence. Basic income is near existence but only come through oil bunkering and militancy.

Immediately after Olu Amoda graduated from his polytechnic studies at the famous federal polytechnic in Auchi. A school famous for its ‘landscaping art’ he headed for Lagos to have his first solo exhibition at the National Council for Arts and Culture in 1984. It was a well-received exhibition and since, Olu has had an enviable and remarkable career spanning group and more solo shows at home and abroad. He is himself a ‘collector’s item’

Objects of Arts will always be a unique exhibition on the continent of Africa.  A breathtaking one held at the prestigious Didi museum, Lagos by Olu Amoda on Thursday November 17, 2005. A show propelled by discarded waste material such as steel printers, plates, wood, rust metals, compact discs, newspaper articles, nails, padlocks and more were creatively turned into artistic presentation of 25 works. Based on critical themes like the environment, pollution, Niger Delta derivation issues, Darfur Crisis, global economy debates. One of the works, Queen of the Night is a 4 part series, set on a beautiful construction and imagery. He used chicken wire mesh, nails and scraps.

From the guillotine to the cold, was basically on the Darfur crisis in Sudan. Cheap men, ten dance steps [members only] on the attitude of the oil multinational companies and their host government sharing the revenue among themselves. “I got materials such as padlocks, nails and keys with philosophical undertones in some other parts of the world to work and come out with different interpretations.” He explained further, “I got many of them from my various travels and enquiries on the significant of these discarded but living materials.”

Images/Olu Amoda Library/Words/Ireho Aito