One unique phenomenon about the Nigerian artist and mother of three, Olufunke Esekhalu Ojukwu is her unmatched uniqueness in turning wastes to wealth and freeing the environment of the nuisance caused by discarded covers of drinks, and ‘pure’ water sachets, etc. that litter the public spaces, walkways, highways, drainage and making a beauty out of the nuisances. Ojukwu is a master in using discarded materials to effect shades of fantastic art pieces. Her art speaks volume and tells stories of her person, environment, experience, her gender, etc.
Over the years this idea of waste to wealth art has so much captured her whole essence and helped her to ensure in her own little way that the environment is kept ecstatically clean, beautiful and safe. A painter by profession but her sudden love for this unique art has taken much of her time.
Ojukwu, a committed artist was trained at the Nigerian Navy Secondary School and Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where her exposure has made her a core professional. She says, “I am actually a painter, trained at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. By doing this type of unique art, I show another side of what I do. It is my intention to project this art using plastic bottle covers of different drinks to produce art.
Videos courtesy Artmiabo @AMIAF
“I assemble plastic bottle covers of various brands over a period of time in order to string and fashion different shades of this aspect of art works. You can never find plastic bottle cover wasted anywhere around me, I see the discarded bottle covers simply as pure art material. A particular art work of immense interest as a woman, advocate and girl-child crusader is the one I titled, ‘I Be Lady’. Aside from being an artist, I would say I am an environmentalist and advocate in my own way for the female gender, I always speak in their favour using my art. Then there is the massive portrait of the world acclaimed literally giant and icon, Wole Soyinka.
“I Be Lady is two sides to a woman. You can refer to her as a lady. You can refer to her also as a woman. This work says so in very clear terms. When you look at one side you see a silhouette of a lady. When you turn it to other side, what you see is the emotional woman. The woman is in her full epitome. It is a real woman not the chic type of a woman.
“I did one on the portrait of Wole Soyinka. It is 9×9 feet in size, so amazing, unique and imposing. It is the biggest portrait I have done so far. It can be done as large as a billboard.
“These art works are made from the discarded plastic bottle covers. I assemble and string them together to arrive at this sort of beauty. The coupling, joining, welding and so on, all come together to make the work stick. And the choice of my art materials – discarded bottle plastic covers and pure water sachets, help in a great way to keep the environment clean and safe.”
“Discarded plastic bottle covers help 100% to build this sort of work. It engenders multiple colours and it has given my signature some sort of uniqueness only peculiar to me. The multiple colours of discarded plastic bottle covers make my art appear like mosaic.”
Interestingly, Ojukwu claims that the idea to turn discarded bottle covers and ‘pure’ water sachets into a refreshingly unique art work is hers as she is not aware of any forerunner in the art.
“I can’t think of any right now because it’s not as if I had seen anyone using discarded bottle covers to create art work in same manner I do it now, so the inspiration is mine and the idea is mine and I do not paint on it rather use the covers exactly as they were.”
Undone by the modest achievement in the highly competitive profession the cute artist says she would consider herself made and achieved when her art signature – Olufunke Esehkalu has become a household name in and outside the shores of the country.
“I want my art to be projected worldwide not just the bottle covers but the name – Olufunke Esekhalu.”
Ojukwu summed the exposé with an intrigue that she will always be a thorough-bred artist.
“I mentioned early that I would have gone for Mass Communications or Law, now I have no idea whether I would do those things again. If I was not an artist I would still be an artist most likely be singing, I like music and singing but I don’t see myself not being an artist.”
