“The Igbo (African) sculptor does not mould the owl because it is ugly, but to show how wonderful nature is.” — Mazi Mbonu Ojike.

“The Igbo (African) sculptor does not mould the owl because it is ugly, but to show how wonderful nature is.” — Mazi Mbonu Ojike.

What do you know about African, especially Igbo, art? Are you aware that these ancient African artists were not just doing carvings. They were communicating through art? Most of them used art to preserve the history of their communities, or to warn future generations about certain dangers.

Rather than decoding the message hidden in them, we called them ugly, pagan, uncivilized. We set them on fire , then turned around to accuse them of being illiterates who could neither read nor write, who had to be taught how to read and write by the oyibo.

Today, how far? Where has all that led us to — a confused people moving in all directions but in no direction? To find our way back, we need to find the compass our ancestors left for us. It is hidden in our arts, our culture, our taboos, our rules, our language.