Freda .O. Igiogbe

Self-Portrait (Osa), a two-faced ceramic piece that explores both sides of my upbringing. One face features intricate, scale-like textures symbolising the sacred practice of African spirituality, often misrepresented and demonized. The other face, with more human-like features, glances warily toward its counterpart and bears a Christ cross motif surrounded by white cowries. The slight shift between the two heads adds an unsettling, eerie quality to the sculpture.

The figure features exaggerated eyes, a prominent nose, and layered, scale-like textures around its base, meant to symbolise the attire worn by the masked men. The pointed ears give it an ambiguous, almost totemic quality. Using coiling technique to build the figure, I sought to demystify the character that had once terrified me. By engaging with the memories that inspired the sculpture, I reframe the narrative—not as something to fear but as a reflection of cultural richness and ancestral connection. This work became a dialogue with my younger self, a way of telling her, “This is part of your heritage; it is not something to fear.”

This figure is my reinterpretation of the pastor at the altar but with myself embodied in the figure, titled Embodied Self. Standing tall, the figure exudes a strong presence, yet its features carry a sense of ambiguity and introspection as it lacks facial features like the eyes and mouth. Its uneven proportions, with one ear larger than the other is a representation of my disability, having one hearing ear and the other being profoundly deaf, and an elongated torso that flows into short, sturdy legs, create a monolithic, almost otherworldly form. This piece blurs the boundaries between human and non-human, ancient and contemporary, evoking a sense of mystery.