owoko is an interactive installation honoring Igbo women through an
ongoing ritual centered around the element of water. ebere agwuncha uses
the historic Comfort Station site as grounds for owoko, the first iteration
of the series Creating Care-filled Igbo Architecture(s), through the use of
ceramics, natural fiber, and wood.
comfort station (chicago, Il)
april 3Oth - may 28th 2O22
link ︎︎︎
press ︎︎︎
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This installation embodies the historic formation of the Circular Stepped Pyramids in Nsude (Northern Igboland)1; the ceramic-woven vessels exhibited replicate the linear uli formation parallel to the primary window within the space. These bodies sit in sunken soil to replicate the traditional owoko3, a water pot installation, that was designed and produced by Igbo women - prior to Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960. (Credit to Eva Obodo & May Okafor for publishing critical work regarding the owoko in Traditional Water Pot Installations and Functions in Parts of Igboland, Southeast Nigeria.) The vessel centered amongst the five vessels is a soundscape and water reservoir. It is activated through an ongoing ritual practiced alongside ebere’s family who journeyed to a nearby stream to ‘fetch the water’ for the vessel. The viewer is encouraged to continue filling the center vessel with a water offering as they first enter the space. owoko is a collective meditation and is activated to remind us of our invisible access to clean water.
The exhibition features the process of ebere crafting the architecture(s)2 that are on display. A video piece shown is an assemblage of various archives, historical sites, ebere’s hands, and interviews. The viewer can see beyond the architecture(s) that may appear as final works in the space, and interpret each item as an ‘object of process’, with some items evolving past their current state in the show.
photo credits above: taken by tj walker at the owoko exhibition opening.
select works
![nsude 3 exposed, 2)22, glazed ceramic vessel, 8x8x2O ¾ in.]()
![processing image, 2O22, digital collage, 18x24 in.]()
![nnamdi exposed, 2O22, photograph, 11x17 in.]()
historial references
![1 - Circular Stepped Pyramids in Nsude, N. Igboland. G.I. Jones.]()
![2 - Carved pillars in Obu house Abiriba. G.I. Jones.]()
![3 - traditional owoko, a water pot installation. Eva Obodo & May Okafor.]()
photo credits above: select work images taken and provided by ebere agwuncha. historical references taken from the Ụkpụrụ̄ tumblr archive.
© ebere agwuncha 2O22
comfort station (chicago, Il)
april 3Oth - may 28th 2O22
link ︎︎︎
press ︎︎︎
This installation embodies the historic formation of the Circular Stepped Pyramids in Nsude (Northern Igboland)1; the ceramic-woven vessels exhibited replicate the linear uli formation parallel to the primary window within the space. These bodies sit in sunken soil to replicate the traditional owoko3, a water pot installation, that was designed and produced by Igbo women - prior to Nigeria’s independence from Britain in 1960. (Credit to Eva Obodo & May Okafor for publishing critical work regarding the owoko in Traditional Water Pot Installations and Functions in Parts of Igboland, Southeast Nigeria.) The vessel centered amongst the five vessels is a soundscape and water reservoir. It is activated through an ongoing ritual practiced alongside ebere’s family who journeyed to a nearby stream to ‘fetch the water’ for the vessel. The viewer is encouraged to continue filling the center vessel with a water offering as they first enter the space. owoko is a collective meditation and is activated to remind us of our invisible access to clean water.
The exhibition features the process of ebere crafting the architecture(s)2 that are on display. A video piece shown is an assemblage of various archives, historical sites, ebere’s hands, and interviews. The viewer can see beyond the architecture(s) that may appear as final works in the space, and interpret each item as an ‘object of process’, with some items evolving past their current state in the show.
photo credits above: taken by tj walker at the owoko exhibition opening.
select works
historial references
photo credits above: select work images taken and provided by ebere agwuncha. historical references taken from the Ụkpụrụ̄ tumblr archive.
© ebere agwuncha 2O22
upcoming / recent events, shows, and exhibitions:
Uri-Eichen Gallery - Poetry & Screening
bronzeville, chicago, il. september 10 -
Uri-Eichen Gallery - Poetry & Screening
September 16th, Chicago, IL
Chicago Art Department - Woven Vessel Workshop
September 25th 5-7pm, Chicago, IL
bronzeville winery
bronzeville, chicago, il. september 10 -
eh-bear-ay ah-gwan-cha
about
ebere received a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Iowa State University in 2019. They have received various awards and residency opportunities including the 3Arts Make a Wave grant, the Chicago Artist Coalition Spark Grant, ACRE Residency, Alt_ Designer in Residence, The Ignite Fund’s Research & Development Grant, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago inaugural Artist-in-Exchange with the Sculpture Department. ebere has shared various forms of work with Comfort Station, Buddy at the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Architecture Biennial, The Luminary, Alt_, Breathing Room Garden, Des Moines Art Center, and others. ebere currently teaches with the UChicagoArts, Arts + Public Life Design Apprenticeship Program and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago's Sculpture Department.
in 2021, ebere started ccia (creating care-filled igbo architecture(s)): an ongoing research based series celebrating the intersections of architecture, design, craft, and art in the igbo sphere and beyond.
contact
e - eagwun [at] gmail.comig - @ebere.agwuncha
w - ebereagwuncha.com
credits
font in use - ia writer quattro designed by iAwebsite design and programming - ebere agwuncha
photo above taken by tj walker
© ebere agwuncha 2O23
about
ccia - creating care-filled igbo architecture(s) - celebrates the intersections of architecture, design, craft, and art in the Igbo sphere (and beyond) through a dexterous practice exploring various inquiries including: food preservation, visual literature, rainwater collection, and extrusion/intrusion architecture. the word architecture(s) has been adapted to also include object design, functional structures, and visual literature. this is a series started by ebere agwuncha in 2021.progress
Tanda / Chuquimarca Projects Spring 2022 Chorhort
link ︎︎︎
“i was reminded not to take this work and practice for granted during the Tanda exploring my topic. my hands are in the cannon and i dream to continuously hybridize my hands with the hands of my past ancestors. ongoing intentional documentation is key for this project to preserve and capture the narrative and process. i wonder how collective community experiences transfer locationally, and also remain a pillar for ‘being filled with care’. how can personal experiences stand as the ‘art’. what does legacy mean to me/us?”
Opening Water Ritual / Techtonic Black 2O22
link ︎︎︎
“This ritual is about using water to let go of what is no longer serving the ultimate thriving of us and our communities. We will share stories, create songs and connect to nature. This moment is about stepping into collective love and imagination for Lawndale this summer.”
versions
owoko / creating care-filled igbo architecture(s) v.I
link ︎︎︎
the first iteration of creating care-filled igbo architecture(s) titled owoko, was exhibited at comfort station in chicago, may of 2022. owoko was an interactive installation honoring Igbo women through an ongoing ritual centered around the element of water. with this first show grounded in a historic site, the viewer was encouraged to fill a glass from the water reservoir and pour water into the center vessel as an offering. this collective meditation granted pause and breath for those that participated, while also creating soundful waves as the water trickled down the ceramic body.
additional versions tk.
© ebere agwuncha 2O22