Nnamdi Udoka

Ịdọ aka na ntị

The woman holds her ear in a gesture that says, “You better pay attention. Listen!”
In Igbo society, this gesture reflects a communal belief that raising a child is everyone’s responsibility. Any adult can offer guidance, correct a wrong step, or share a lesson that helps shape a child’s future.

This same spirit of mentorship lives in the Igbo apprenticeship system, Igba Boi, where young people learn from established traders and entrepreneurs before setting out on their own. Through this tradition, the Igbo have created a powerful pathway to wealth, producing numerous millionaires and turning shared knowledge into lasting prosperity.

This work celebrates the Igbo culture's courage to provide guidance, the humility to listen, and the willingness to learn from others. It reminds us that guidance is an act of care whose impact can extend across generations.
Sometimes, the advice we listen to today becomes the foundation of the life we build tomorrow.

Kụrụkwa
Kụrụkwa captures the defiant gesture of the Igbo wrestler who brandishes sand at his opponent, declaring his readiness to fight and his confidence in securing victory. More than a provocation, this gesture embodies a deep belief in one’s own strength and the courage to put that strength to the test.
I have here used this wrestler to show the enterprising spirit of the Igbo man, who ventures into unfamiliar territories, stakes his abilities against uncertainty, and puts down roots firmly enough to flourish. The wrestling arena becomes a metaphor for life: a space of risk, competition, resilience, and possibility.

Through this work, I celebrate the audacity of self-belief—the willingness to leave the familiar, confront the unknown, and turn a bold wager into lasting success. Kụrụkwa is both a challenge and a declaration: Bet me. I believe in what I am, what I can do, and what I can become.

Remember, it is said that if you travel somewhere new and an Igbo man isn't already living there, then that place probably isn't good for living.

After 6 weeks of thrilling work at the LIMCAF residency, I am pleased to invite the public to the Residency exhibition and art market in collaboration with the Amadeo Business Summit.

RC26
D3

Commissioned drawing of a child I should know.

Trees. But our roots grow up

Muse: Chinenye Eze

Echi adịghị asị ndo

Tomorrow
Lagos
Inclusivity

In the wee hours of the morning
A little man opened the door of his house
And ran barefoot the short distance to the shoemaker's brown shop.
'Make me a pair of shoes, dear man, so I can hurry off to the market.'

'What type of shoes will you be needing then?', asked the lanky shoemaker in his brown shop.

'I do not know, but hurry up and make me a pair of shoes this minute or I shall be late for the market.'

'What color of shoes will you be needing then?', asked the shoemaker as he passed a thread nearly through a needle's eye.

'You are not listening to me, Mr. Shoemaker. I want a shoe this minute as I have none to wear to the market', railed the man exasperatedly.

'What size of shoe will I be making for you then?', asked the patient showmaker as he carefully mended a torn sole.

'What I want is a shoe Sir. Can you not hear me? I have to be in the market this minute and I...'

'Yes yes, you have no shoe to wear. I heard you.'
Said the lanky shoemaker with his eyes on his threading.

'For a pair of shoes you will pay five times the usual sum, kind Sir.'

The little man's jaw dropped. Five times? That's robbery. Why would I pay five times the price of a shoe just so I can run to the market?' The man blubbered indignantly.

'Let me reiterate ', said the patient showmaker as he concentrated on the shoe in his hands.

'For a pair of shoes made so quickly as to be finished soon enough to be worn hastily to the market on this very morning, you will pay five times the sum.'

'I have no such money for a little pair of shoes. You are a dishonest man looking to dupe your customers wherever you can.'

The not-so-patient Shoemaker turned cold eyes to the little man and said:

'Shoo! Leave my shop this minute. '