Amayo Duke

Duke’s work reimagines Nigerian heritage through craft and play. Utilising the tactile nature of crochet, Community focuses on the Ekpe Society of the Efik people in Calabar, Nigeria; a society very rich in cultural symbolism but also often obscured by secrecy. Each crochet stitch represents the often-unacknowledged craftsmanship integral to cultural artifacts, while the puzzle itself is a metaphor for the communal effort required to keep traditions alive. By inviting touch and interaction, this work aims to transform exclusion into participation, creating space for cultural dialogue, pride and Identity. It asks audiences to build heritage together, one piece at a time.