oge adighi eche mmadu | Time Waits For No One

oge adighi eche mmadu | Time Waits For No One

REWA reflects on the passing of time for young and single Igbo women, as with each new year that passes, the expectation of becoming an honourable woman in society, i.e. married with children becomes ever more urgent.

Whilst a birthday is a celebratory occasion, it is also a reminder of the ticking of the 'biological clock', and can therefore be equally daunting.

REWA is a figurative abstract artist of Igbo-Nigerian heritage based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Raised between Nigeria and England, her hybrid upbringing greatly informs her practice which she coined, Igbo vernacular art; a contemporary outlook on the lifestyles and values of the 21st century Igbo woman, navigating ancient traditions and new social norms and expectations. In her own words: ‘My art is drawn from life itself and deeply anchored in a place and culture from which it was derived and so I believe that this description is more accurate as it implies a unique iteration of customs and tradition, bound to a particular location and a particular people’.

Whilst her work is rooted in a specific tradition, location and custom, REWA’s portraits explore many universal themes, such as the notion of marriage, motherhood, societal roles and expectations that modern women today navigate and strive to reconcile in a world that is still upheld by patriarchy.