Our Cover edition this week tells the story of Ameh Odachi, a Nigerian visual artist whose work is opening conversations around an often-overlooked subject which is the emotional and human experiences of men.

At a time when June is observed as Men’s Health Month, drawing attention to issues ranging from male masculinity, cardiovascular disease and mental wellbeing to infertility and other health concerns, Ameh’s artistic voice offers a different perspective, that is, listening to men, understanding their realities and creating spaces where their stories can be heard.

Her upcoming exhibition, “States of Men” from June 19 to 21 2026, continues this exploration. The exhibition is built around conversations with 60 men, examining the pressures they carry all over, from financial responsibilities and emotional burdens to inherited expectations, performance demands and health concerns. Those conversations inspired seven new artworks that form the heart of the exhibition.

Words Ireho Aito | Don’t Keep Your Art in the Finger! Photographs and images courtesy Ameh Odachi archives

Three weeks ago, yours truly lost an amiable neighbour to cardiac arrest, an incident that turned my small community upside down. We are still nursing the shock of losing a well-loved gentleman, full of life and warmth. He was such a personality to have as a neighbour.

His sudden passing was a reminder of how fragile life can be and how important conversations around men’s wellbeing have become.

One constant feature is many men carry silent battles. While some are physical, some are emotional. Others remain hidden behind responsibilities, expectations and the pressure to always appear strong.

In this society, we have come to realise that men don’t always talk about their problems. In fact, many hide them.
It is within this silence that Ameh Odachi’s work finds its purpose to lift men up and speak up.

What makes her advocacy unique is that she is a female artist exploring male experiences and not from personal identity, but from observation, empathy, research and listening.

“My artistic practice is not solely focused on men’s health or men’s mental health. I prefer the term ‘male advocacy’ because it allows us to see men as complete human beings, spirit, soul, and body, and to engage with their experiences holistically,” she explains.

Ameh’s interest in male advocacy developed gradually as she reveals,
“Over the years, society has rightly invested significant attention in female empowerment. However, I began to notice that while we were having important conversations about girls and women, many young boys and men seemed to be falling through the cracks.”

She began noticing a difference in how emotional awareness was encouraged.
“As a young adult, I observed a growing emotional gap between men and women my age. It often seemed that women were encouraged to develop emotional awareness much earlier, while many men were left to navigate adulthood without the same tools or support.”

The turning point came through personal loss. Somehow, making one crestfallen in spirit. “The turning point for me was loss. I lost a male friend to suicide in his late thirties. Years earlier, my younger sister had lost a male classmate to suicide before he even became a teenager. I am a millennial while she is Gen Z. Two different generations, yet the same tragic outcome,” she confirms.

That realisation was impossible for Ameh to ignore. It forced her to ask difficult questions about what young boys and men are carrying in silence.
Those questions became the foundation of her artistic advocacy.

“My work became a way of exploring those questions, creating conversations, and advocating for a more compassionate understanding of the male experience.”

Ameh’s advocacy grew organically from her creative process, with her art becoming a voice for deeper conversations around men and their experiences.

“My journey into male advocacy evolved naturally through my artistic practice as an abstract mosaic artist. Art has given me the freedom to explore conversations that are often difficult to have openly, and through it I have found a voice for subjects that are frequently overlooked.”

Her first solo exhibition, entitled, Men, Mask, Meaning, became a defining milestone in her artistic journey, marking the point where her creative expression expanded into a deeper exploration of masculinity, identity and the hidden stories of men.

“My first solo exhibition, Men, Mask, Meaning, was both a tribute to my father and a celebration of International Men’s Day. The exhibition featured five themes, each represented through three artworks, exploring some of the challenges men face beneath the surface of everyday life.”

She understands the importance of approaching the subject with sensitivity, recognising that conversations around men’s experiences require empathy, openness and a deeper understanding beyond the surface.

“While I do not experience these realities firsthand, I engage with them from the perspective of an observer, listener, and researcher,” Ameh states.

“That is why I incorporate panel discussions into my exhibitions. I believe meaningful advocacy begins with asking questions and creating space for honest conversations.”

Through exhibitions, surveys, and conversations, Ameh has consistently encountered recurring themes in men’s lived experiences, revealing patterns of silence, pressure, identity struggles, and emotional restraint that cut across different backgrounds.

“Through my exhibitions, surveys, panel discussions, and one-on-one conversations, I have noticed that many men’s struggles are interconnected.”

She explains further about her observations, “financial pressure is often the most visible challenge, but beneath it are emotional burdens that rarely receive the same attention.”

Ameh notes that many men continue to struggle under the weight of expectations placed upon them, often shaped by culture, tradition, and society’s ideas of what strength should look like.

“Many men speak about the constant expectation to provide, perform, endure, and succeed, often without adequate support systems,” she reveals.

“There is a persistent belief that vulnerability is weakness, so many carry their fears, disappointments, and anxieties in silence.”

She also highlights the lingering influence of traditional ideas of masculinity, which continue to shape how many men express or suppress their emotions and vulnerabilities.

“Many men feel obligated to live according to definitions of masculinity they did not create but are expected to uphold.

“They are taught what a man should be, yet are rarely given space to question whether those expectations are healthy, realistic, or sustainable.”

For Ameh, the most profound discovery has been the shared human need that runs beneath these struggles which is an underlying desire for understanding, connection, and emotional honesty.

“What has surprised me most is that regardless of age, profession, or social status, the desire to be seen, heard, and understood remains remarkably consistent,” Ameh confirms in her interview.

“Beneath the different stories is a common human need for connection, dignity, purpose, and emotional safety,” she confesses.

Beyond her advocacy, an Up Close and Personal encounter reveals the woman behind the artist, shaped by family, culture, and faith, and grounded in the experiences that continue to inform her creative voice.

“My name is Ameh Odachi. I am Nigerian, with roots that beautifully reflect the diversity of the country. My father is Idoma from Benue State, while my mother is Birom from Plateau State.”

Born in Jos, Ameh’s early years took her to Abuja at six, followed by formative periods of living and studying in Katsina, Kaduna, and Zaria, before she eventually returned to Abuja.

“I am the third of five children, and when I reflect on my childhood, the overwhelming feeling is gratitude,” she says with genuine gratitude.

“My parents created a home that felt safe, nurturing, and deeply grounded in values.”

Her father remains one of her strongest influences, shaping not only her values but also her outlook on discipline, resilience, and purpose.

“The greatest influence on my values was my father. Without exaggeration, I cannot go a day without drawing from one of the lessons he taught me.”

She says her father was incredibly intentional. Every conversation carried wisdom, every correction had purpose, and every interaction felt like a subtle life tutorial.

She also acknowledges that growing up across different parts of Northern Nigeria shaped her understanding of people, deepening her appreciation of cultural diversity and human complexity.

“Those experiences taught me the value of empathy, adaptability, and human connection, values that continue to influence both my life and my artistic practice today.”

Ameh’s relationship with creativity began early, long before it found formal expression in exhibitions and projects.

As a child, she was drawn to observation, sketching moments, noticing details others might overlook, and turning everyday experiences into quiet acts of imagination. What began as simple curiosity gradually evolved into a deeper language of expression, one she would later refine through education, exploration, and practice. Over time, creativity became less of an activity and more of a way of seeing the world, shaping how she interprets people, emotions, and the spaces they inhabit.

“Like many children, one of my earliest memories of art was drawing on walls, doodling in my school books, and filling pages faster than my teachers and parents would have liked.”

Her father recognised her imagination early and chose to nurture it rather than dismiss it. He encouraged her curiosity, supported her early attempts at expression, and created space for her to explore ideas freely. That quiet but consistent support became an anchor in her formative years, giving her the confidence to trust her instincts and follow her creative inclinations without hesitation. Over time, his encouragement evolved into a lasting influence, shaping not only her artistic confidence but also her belief in the value of creative exploration.

“It was my father who suggested that I study Architecture because he noticed that I was always trying to give structure to my imagination.”

Although she ended up studying Building at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, the experience became part of her artistic foundation.

“Building gave me structure, discipline, patience, and a methodical way of thinking. Those qualities continue to influence how I approach my artistic practice today.”

Looking back, she believes creativity was never something she learned later in life, but something that had always been present within her. It surfaced in the way she observed her surroundings, the questions she asked, and the quiet ways she interpreted the world around her.

Even in moments when she was not consciously pursuing art, there was an instinctive pull toward expression whether through drawing, storytelling, or simply noticing patterns in everyday life.

With time, she came to understand that creativity was not an addition to her identity, but a thread that had always run through it, gradually revealing itself as she grew.

“I cannot point to a single moment when I realised I was creative. Creativity has always felt natural to me,” she says.

“It was never an event or a discovery. It was simply a way of seeing and engaging with the world.”

Ameh’s creative process begins with listening. “I begin by listening. I listen to people’s stories, I observe their experiences, and then I allow those impressions to settle within me before they find their way onto the canvas,” she states.

Furthermore, Ameh explains that as an abstract mosaic artist, her work is less about depicting literal images and more about translating emotion, tension, and unspoken realities into colour, texture, movement, and form. In her practice, meaning is never fixed, rather, it shifts with perception. She believes every viewer arrives with their own history, memories, and interpretations, allowing each piece to become a shared but deeply personal encounter between artist and audience.

“As an abstract mosaic artist, I am often translating emotions, tensions, and unspoken realities into colour, texture, movement, and form rather than literal images. Art communicates on levels that words often cannot reach,” she says.

“When I create work around themes such as mental health, loneliness, identity, or emotional wellbeing, I am not trying to dictate what viewers should feel. Rather, I am creating a space where they can encounter something of themselves,” she concludes.

In closing, two familiar platforms come to mind, Mentality with Ebuka, the podcast hosted by media personality Ebuka Obi-Uchendu that engages openly with men’s issues, and With Chude, the mental health-driven conversations led by Chude Jideonwo. Both have created space for honesty, reflection, and the difficult work of naming emotions that are often left unspoken.

In a different language but toward a similar purpose, Ameh Odachi’s practice extends this conversation into visual form. Her work does not rely on speech, yet it carries the weight of what is often difficult to articulate. Through abstraction, she transforms emotion, silence, and lived tension into visual experiences that invite reflection rather than instruction.

For Ameh Odachi, the canvas is not simply a surface for expression, the canvas is a space where hidden stories surface, where silence takes shape, and where viewers are gently confronted with the emotional realities that often remain unspoken.

Ameh Odachi’s upcoming exhibition, States of Men comes up from June 19 to 21 2026.

iBAND Magazine, Celebrating Visual Arts from the Original.
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