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Ani Izuchukwu Valentine
Aka Ji Oku (Women as the Custodians of Light) - 21st Century, Contemporary Art

2017

$4,250
£3,236.84
€3,730.93
CA$5,945.72
A$6,682.60
CHF 3,480.12
MX$81,276.92
NOK 44,532.41
SEK 42,229.84
DKK 27,845.18
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About the Item

"Aka ji oku" (Women as Custodians of Light) - Aka ji oku is an Igbo statement, which denotes "the hand that bears the light". Igbo's origin can be traced down to the Eastern Region of Nigeria, West Africa. In this painting, the artist celebrates the vital role women play in illuminating their communities. A majestic black African lady, adorned with lantern-like earrings, cradles a radiant lantern, symbolizing guidance and wisdom. The soft, golden light, illuminates her serene face, emphasizing inner strength and resilience, as the illumination extends onto her rural environment, representing hope and progress. While the shining lantern adorning her ear, signifies the light she carries within. This artwork aims to honour African women as beacons of knowledge, cultural preservation, and community development, guardians of traditional values and wisdom and sources of inspiration, nurturing, and empowerment. "Women as Custodians of Light" is a testament to the transformative impact women have on their communities, shining brightly for future generations. The artist dedicated this piece to his late mum, whose light was pivotal in his art career. Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ani Izuchukwu Valentine is a contemporary Nigerian Visual Artist/ Educator who studied Fine And Applied Art at the prestigious Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in Enugu, Nigeria. There, he graduated as the best graduating student in Fine and Applied Art with a distinction in Painting ( 2014). Presently, he is an Art Educator in the Department of Fine Art, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State, Nigeria. Valentine has featured in group exhibitions, both locally and internationally. During the formative years of his art career, he was highly eclectic in acquiring knowledge through mentors and explorations and having undergone a rigorous process of learning and unlearning diverse art techniques and styles, He launched into a painting style where he uses Oil and Acrylic on Canvas as his preferred medium of Art expression. He describes his paintings as visual poetry by which He manifests as a poet with the skilful use of colours to represent poetic storylines, thus, his paintings are targeted at capturing the very essence of mostly Afrocentric melanin models in their realistic/ semi-realistic forms which best portrays his African based storylines. As an educator, the theme of his paintings is educative as it mostly revolves around Africa and melanin figures, even as it serves an aesthetic function. However, His life's experience with both humans and nature serves as a powerful motivating factor in his paintings. Thus, within the canvas, his works are the reflections of people and events around him, triggered by the dynamic interplay of life.
  • Creator:
    Ani Izuchukwu Valentine (1991, Nigerian)
  • Creation Year:
    2017
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 46 in (116.84 cm)Width: 34 in (86.36 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Ibadan, NG
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1717215565662

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