Nike Davies-Okundaye, born 1951, Nigeria Search this
Medium:
Mixed media finished with acrylic on canvas
Dimensions:
H x W: 143.5 x 215.9 cm (56 1/2 x 85 in.)
Type:
Painting
Geography:
Nigeria
Date:
1995
Label Text:
Artist and designer Nike Davies-Okundaye is known for her batik textiles and her acrylic paintings and pen and ink works on paper that bring contemporary perspectives to the communicative power of Nigeria’s traditional textile arts. In these two paired paintings, 2012-14-1 and 2012-14-2, Nike considers the role that women should play in society, and how women address some of the burning issues in their communities. The artist points out that the subject matter refers specifically to the actions that Yoruba women take when addressing crisis and how women should be encouraged to speak out in order to break male control, which includes aspects of traditional culture that have limited women’s access to power and self-expression.
In these works, Nike explores how women adopt a non-violent approach to protest. She depicts women dressed with their finest attire, referencing a saying by Yoruba women, “My dress will speak my mind.” The first painting presents the back view of the women who are engaged in peaceful protest, gathering together to solve a problem. The artist notes that the back view calls to mind the Yoruba tenet that the back of a woman is the cradle of nature, because a child starts life on the back of the mother.
The second painting conversely shows the faces of the women who went out and, together, resolved the problem afflicting the community. The artist notes that on their return, the women will need to put their heads together to discuss the sustainability of the resolution that was agreed upon.
Nike, who is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, affirms her belief in peaceful protest and non-violent movements, and her conviction that women can be socially, economically and politically empowered to occupy their rightful places in the communities in which they live and work. Though she describes the two paintings as relevant to Yoruba women, it is clear that Nike’s message is a global one about women empowerment.
Nike Davies-Okundaye in an internationally recognized artist, a reputation achieved, in part, due to the many workshops she has led within and outside Nigeria that focus on the nation’s textile traditions – particularly the indigo-dyed, wax resist painted and stenciled textile called adire. Adire was first produced in quantity in the late nineteenth century, with production dwindling by World War II. The 1960s saw a revived interest in adire that featured new patterns and new uses beyond the cloth’s original use as women's wrappers.
Description:
Richly patterned contemporary textile work of predominantly reddish-orange and purple hues that depicts women standing closely together and facing one figure, viewed from behind, located in the left foreground of the composition. Details of head wraps, blouses and waist wrappers dissolve amidst geometric patterns organized in a grid-like arrangement.
Provenance:
Ambassador Robin Renée Sanders, Alexandria, Virginia, purchased from the artist in 2012
Exhibition History:
I Am: Contemporary African Women Artists, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2019 - April 3, 2022
Content Statement:
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