Artist Joins Nigeria's 'Cultural Explosion' - Part 2
See hi-res gallery of Akunyili's images
"When I was young, the less Nigerian you were the cooler you were, but
now we have gone back to tradition," said Akunyili. "There's a nice
energy about the country that's finally coming into its own."
Several of Akunyili's works include images of a black woman and a white
man -- dancing in a nightclub, in bed together and in a traditional
Igbo wedding ceremony.
Another shows a party at a neighbor's house in the Nigerian town where Akunyili grew up.
Akunyili won her residency immediately after graduating with a Masters of Fine Art from Yale University.
She said: "I noticed a lot of artists I like had done a residency at
Studio Harlem, and I thought this couldn't be a coincidence. I felt
something really good was happening there.
"If I had a list of all the things I wanted, this residency was at the top.
"I applied towards the end of my year at Yale, but I didn't think I
would get it because it was very competitive and a lot of people apply
several times.
"I
thought if it takes three times on average, I should start collecting my
rejection letters. I was very surprised to get it first time."
The residency ended with a four-month exhibition, "Primary Sources,"
featuring Akunyili's work alongside that of the two other Artists In
Residence, Meleko Mokgosi and Xaviera Simmons.
"Getting the residency was a big game changer for me," said Akunyili.
"I have friends who graduated with me who have made little or no work
because they are working other jobs to pay the rent.
"The residency puts you on a platform for people to write about and
talk about, and also puts you in touch with a lot of other artists.
"The show at the end is four months, and it's allowed far more people to see my work than I ever thought would.
"Now it's over I want to try and continue with the rigor of being in a studio every day."
Akunyili's work has not yet been shown in her own country, something she would like to change soon.
"I want people to see that art is something you can do with your life," she said.
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