At 75, Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye remains what she has always been — a restless cultural force stitching together art, memory and identity across continents in indigo-dyed threads. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports
If Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye stands out at cultural gatherings as one of the Nigerian art scene’s most recognisable figures, it is first because of her large fan-like gélé — that elegantly wrapped Yoruba head-tie which, over the decades, has become almost as iconic as the woman herself. Then there is the warmth she exudes: the irrepressible laughter, the relaxed sociability, the animated conversations punctuated by sweeping gestures. Around her lingers the unmistakable sense of someone for whom art is not merely profession, but second nature. Indeed, the woman fondly called “Mama Nike” wears culture with the same effortless ease with which others don their favourite fabric.
It makes sense, therefore, that this matriarch of the Nigerian art community — who marked her 75th birthday yesterday, May 23 — recently led a contingent of 13 Nigerian artists to the US for Threads of Heritage: A Cultural Confluence Connecting Africa to Atlanta. The event, an ambitious cultural diplomacy initiative, officially opened on May 15 after pre-event activities began on May 6. Organised by Fulton County Arts and Culture under Commissioner Robb Pitts and director David Manuel, alongside Georgia State Representative Kim Schofield, the programme combines exhibitions, workshops, artist talks, youth engagement projects, HBCU (Historically Black College or University) collaborations, masquerade performances, dance, cuisine and other communal rituals of cultural exchange.
