Nyama and the Trickster (2024)
From the artist statement: “Nyama and the Trickster is a new solo exhibition by Nigerian-born artist Kosisochukwu Nnebe that traces the history of West African metallurgy from its beginnings on the African continent to its arrival on the shores of the Caribbean as part of the slave trade. Looking to the preservation of metallurgical practices and craftsmanship, Nnebe finds evidence of how efforts to render Blackness into mere raw resource have always been confronted with the irreducibility of Black knowledge, spirituality, and aliveness.
Key words: metallurgy, African spirituality, trickster, music, racial capitalism, knowledge, sugar, slavery
Kosisochukwu Nnebe, Fragments of a different self, 2024, steel
Kosisochukwu Nnebe, Sweet as Iron, 2024, wrought iron, sugar, soil, audio
Kosisochukwu Nnebe, Aunt Nancy, 2024, mixed media
Photo credit: Artist and Sarah Thomas
The artist would like to acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.