In the month of April, just after the arrival of the pandemic, I was commissioned by Plug In ICA’s curator, Nasrin Himada, to edit the inaugural issue of Plug In ICA Editions Online. I decided to engage, in dialogue, four Winnipeg based artists, as well as one artist from Montreal. In collaboration with the web-based artists, Ali Shamas Qadeer and Chris Lee, these discussions are going to be released online bi-weekly throughout the month of December and January.
Even in the most beautiful skies there are select stars that draw the eyes. I had the privilege of speaking with these five artists, all of whom I admire. The selected artists featured in this project, all hail from distinct artistic backgrounds, which consist of painters, photographers, performers, video artists, installation artists, printmakers, textile art and beadwork. My keen interest in their art practices, and familiarity with the individual artists, prior to this project, were major reasons for my choice. Conversations with each artist took a life of its own, testing the waters of the unknown, the assumed, the most likely, and the profound.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to this auspicious quintet: Ekene Maduka, Annie Beach, Cassandra Cochrane, Iyunade Judah and Eve Tagny. Each of these artists are entitled to a solo in this one take jam.
The first artist that came to mind was Ekene Maduka. Ekene happened to be my studio partner for a number of years, while we sailed through art school. In my first year, Ekene was introduced to me as someone “who comes from a family of artists.” I later got the opportunity to meet her sisters Akum and Mercedes, both practicing artists. Whenever I recall my nocturnal adventures with Ekene in our tidy white studio, there happens to be a yearning to relive those moments. Our relationship as peers has always been symbiotic; we have learnt a lot from each other and supported one another generously. My favorite memories while sharing space with Ekene were the numerous musical performances we staged in front of our imaginary audience. We would sing songs by Nigerian musicians, like 2Face Idibia. Ekene sang tenor, while I ping ponged from alto to soprano, we thought we were great singers, and went on tour with the idea. My discussion with Ekene in this publication, is an extension of our jovial but thought-provoking studio chat; this time, a little less colloquial.
Watching Annie Beach navigate the art scene, it becomes apparent that being an artist transcends mere talent or career success. Annie upholds morality and ethics in her practice and also in community involvements. Annie and I both work for the same institution (Graffiti Art Gallery) as art teachers. I have had the opportunity to have multiple conversations and studio visits with Annie. Annie’s artistic engagement with the younger generation is a constant reminder for other artists—that we ought to actively contribute to our immediate community and to society at large.
I have seen Judah Iyunade undergo constant metamorphosis since I met him in the summer of 2019. After a studio visit in my class at Studio 393, we became research buddies. One of Judah’s strengths is his thirst and willingness to learn new things. I do hang out with Judah often, we discuss topics like the Oyo empire, and other African civilizations. We share books, videos, and newly discovered artists with each other. When I first met Judah, he was an evergreen seedling, sprouting out of fertile earth, right now Judah has become the Iroko tree in the middle of the king’s compound, where the elders gather to drink Palm wine.
Cassandra Cochrane says it as it is without sugarcoating. I have come to appreciate her honesty and consistent humor. I have witnessed Cassandra stand in support, and in defense of vulnerable artists who were at the precipice of exploitation and harassment. Cassandra is well involved with community. She teaches beading to younger artists. Some of the teenagers and young adults who have attended her classes are now practicing artists in their own right. Cassandra’s practice occupies a unique space in the art scene, she stands at the intersection of installation and fashion design.
Knowing Eve Tagny personally has been delightful. Before my premier encounter with Eve, I had nothing but respect and admiration for her practice. I once said to a colleague, “Aren’t we fortunate to witness Eve Tagny happen?” Knowing how recycled the art scene can be, Eve’s work is definitely a breath of fresh air. Her immersive practice sprints away from being merely decorous, to the creation of spaces to process emotions, to grieve, and practice mindfulness. Eve brilliantly amalgamates video, photography, installation and performance within spaces, thereby engaging the human consciousness within those spaces.
One constant factor that resonates among the practices of these artists is the autonomy they possess that emancipates their practice from the parameters set by western academia. Although these artists are all well versed in knowledge born out of colonial drivel, they have all consciously taken a departure from the space shuttle of western jive to form their own spaces, with ideologies that are independent, but not in competition with whiteness.
Chukwudubem Ukaigwe
Chukwudubem Ukaigwe is a Nigerian born song, dispersed by a transient Atlantic breeze, currently passing through Treaty 1 Territory, so called Canada. He consciously uses a variety of mediums to relay a plurality of ideas at any given time. He views his art practice as a conversation, or a portal into one, and in some instances, as an interpretation of this ongoing exchange. Chukwudubem weighs an occurrence, feeling, or idea on a scale and then creates a narrative in his own language. Chukwudubem operates as an interdisciplinary artist, curator, writer, and cultural worker. He is the founder of Patterns Collective.