1 month ago
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In a Virtual Reality (VR) Lab successful faraway China, creator and researcher Zainab Nneka Odemwingie has realised a task that encapsulates and drives her passionateness for the arts.
‘The Legend of Arua’ – immerses viewers into the past Kingdom of Benin City, giving them a accidental to participate the palace of the Oba of Benin, to get a 360ᵒ presumption of 1 of his sons and giant, Asua.
Through a hand-drawn animation video, the spectator is archetypal introduced to the subject, the circumstances surrounding his birth, and events that shaped who helium was astatine the time. The task took 4 years to execute (2019 – 2022).
Speaking to the media, the Nigerian-born and UK nonmigratory creator said her passionateness for the preservation of Benin folklore and legendary figures was inspired astatine a young property by her reflection of the lack of section folktale figures that looked similar her and that she could subordinate to.
Although determination was thing incorrect with the perfectly groomed Caucasian English-attired dolls she was talented arsenic a young girl, oregon the fairytales astir Cinderella, Princess Elsa that were everyplace astir her, she had wondered, “Where are our ain fairytales? Where are the dolls and storybooks that observe African royalty, folklore and identity?”
Guided by her heavy emotion for civilization and storytelling, she sought to sphere near-extinct Benin folklore (oral literature) and its heroic figures done comics, paintings, drawings, technology, and Extended Reality (ER) creation forms for the payment of the aboriginal generation.
Contrary to fears that AI is simply a menace to artists, Odemwingie believes that creation is each astir the look of the aforesaid and tin ne'er beryllium a menace to artists who recognize this.
“I was inspired by the likes of Bruce Onobrokpeya, and Vincent Van Gogh, whose artworks, similar ‘The Starry Night’ alteration you to spot their feelings and thoughts. AI won’t springiness you that.”
She is alternatively deploying Generative AI to engender younger generations’ interaction with section folklore heroes and heroines, thereby preserving Benin and African taste practice for posterity’s sake.
Beyond the preservation of African civilization and heritage, Odemwingie is besides focused connected the promotion of section and diaspora talents done her upcoming contention projects.
A postgraduate of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria Nsukka, earlier acquiring a Master’s of Fine Arts, Digital Media astatine Jiangsu University, Zhejiang, China. She was a beneficiary of competitions locally and internationally, which provided opportunities that boosted her career. She aims to make akin opportunities for section and diasporan artists.
“I volition beryllium establishing creation competitions that volition convene young people, peculiarly successful secondary school, to drawback them young. This was however I got started successful my travel arsenic an artist.
A multi-media artist, Odemwingie’s enactment spans paintings, comics, and VR arts, including ‘The Legend of Arua’, ‘Sunflower Sonata’, ‘Fulani Elegance’, and ‘Hearth of Harmony’. She has had solo exhibitions, including Roots and Resonance (2022) successful Abuja, successful summation to radical exhibitions Dream Alive 4 (2007) and Dream Alive 5 (2009) astatine UNN, and Goethe Institute Art Workshop Exhibition (2010).
English (US) ·