Edna Abugewa Wyse-Ekenimoh is an art tapester, educator, and one of the judges at the recently concluded Fobally Art World Africa Students National and State Art Competition 2025 is currently preparing for her highly anticipated solo exhibition, “Metamorphic Weave: The Alchemy of Fiber & Pigment,” scheduled to open at the iconic National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.

Words Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Images credit – Edna Ekenimoh

Edna Abugewa Wyse-Ekenimoh is in a season of artistic bloom. Known for her meticulous tapestry works that merge tradition, experimentation, and emotion, she is preparing for her upcoming solo exhibition titled Metamorphic Weave: The Alchemy of Fiber & Pigment, holding at the National Museum, Onikan, Lagos from December 13th to 19th, 2025. The opening event is scheduled for Saturday, December 13th from 3pm to 5pm, while the exhibition continues daily from 10am to 5pm.

A graduate of the School of Art and Design, Federal Polytechnic Auchi, Edna dedicated 23 impactful years to shaping young talents at Lagoon School, Lagos. Her work as an educator did not end when she left the classroom. In Magboro, the community where she resides, she discovered many schools without Art teachers. Rather than lament the situation, she chose to step in, volunteering her time and skills to ensure that the children around her are not denied the opportunities that art provides to grow their confidence, self-expression, and a fresh lens for life. Many of those she teaches now speak with joy about the creative spark she has helped light in them.

Edna’s entire presence reflects the art she creates. Her striking African prints, elaborate hairstyles, and thoughtful accessorising communicate pride, identity, and a rooted sense of culture. She embodies the spirit of an artist who not only creates beauty but lives it boldly and deliberately.

As she prepares for Metamorphic Weave, Edna finds herself reflecting on connections that shaped her artistic journey. The recent retrospective exhibition in honour of the late painter, Ben Osaghae, sparked an emotional memory. Organised by Benin Art Gallery and curated by Moses Ohiomokhare and Adebimpe Owoyemi, the show reminded her of the quiet brilliance of Osaghae, who was once her classmate and studio partner at Auchi Polytechnic.

“Ben was my classmate. He sat beside me in our studio back then at Auchi Polytechnic. May his soul rest in peace and may his legacies tell his stories,” she shared with Ireho Aito of iBAND Magazine. She remembered him as reserved yet warm, deeply committed to his work and never one for needless noise. “Osaghae was very reserved. You hardly found him hopping here and there. He focused on his studio work, with laughter here and there when jokes were cracked. So humble and simple,” she added.

For Edna, this solo exhibition is far more than a showcase of artworks. It is a tribute to the places she has been, the lives she has touched, and the people who helped shape her creative convictions. It is a celebration of cultural memory and the responsibility each artist carries to honour the past while inspiring the future.

Through Metamorphic Weave, Edna invites the world to experience her journey: the threads of heritage, the pigments of emotion, and the stories woven from classrooms, communities, and creative kinship. Her path continues to unfold, leaving a lasting imprint on every child she teaches, every audience she moves, and every canvas of fabric she transforms.