Skip to main content Smithsonian Institution

Catalog Data

Maker:
Iké Udé, born 1964  Search this
Medium:
Inkjet print on paper mounted to aluminum
Dimensions:
H x W x D: 101.6 x 76.2 x 3.5 cm (40 x 30 x 1 3/8 in.)
Type:
Photograph
Geography:
Nigeria
Date:
1997
Label Text:
Iké Udé tends to work in series, focusing on the body and frequently appropriating images and texts from the print media to create works that are often pointedly satirical, political, thought provoking and uncomfortably humorous all at the same time. In his Uli series, Iké Udé acknowledges his Igbo heritage by referring to the tradition of uli body and wall motifs. Though uli designs are primarily secular, their application by women, on shrines and as body ornamentation during ritual occasion--girl's puberty rites, marriages, funerals, commemorative rites, title-taking ceremonies, healing rites and harvest and New Year celebrations--suggest links with the sacred. Associated with beauty and, by extension, ideal moral qualities, uli designs are subject to multiple interpretations throughout the Igbo region. These designs have been enthusiastically embraced by contemporary artists of Nigeria's Nsukka school, who use the designs in their artworks for decorative purposes and to forge links with tradition. In his Uli series, Iké Udé confirms that tradition, but transforms it as a symbol of cultural, racial and sexual identity. While the designs are reminiscent of cultural traditions and birthplace--(Untitled #16 reminding Udé of his mother's arm decorated with uli patterns)--the Uli photographs explore light, shadow and form and the interplay between image and script. In the Uli series, Iké Udé creates compelling, lyrical images that capture the elegance of high fashion and the anonymity of the disembodied self.
Description:
Photograph of two torsos, one black and white, from the back covered with uli pattern.
Exhibition History:
Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, May 9- August 26, 2007; Fowler Museum at University of California, Los Angeles, October 14, 2007-February 17, 2008
Body of Evidence-Rotation 1, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., June 14-October 15, 2006
Published References:
Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution; Milan: 5 Continents Editions, p. 66, no. 4.15.
Kreamer, Christine, Mary Nooter Roberts, Elizabeth Harney and Allyson Purpura. 2007. "Inscribing Meaning: Writing and Graphic Systems in African Art." African Arts 40 (3), p. 86, no. 19.
Content Statement:
As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
Image Requests:
High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
Topic:
Writing  Search this
Credit Line:
Museum purchase
Object number:
2003-21-2
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
Copyright:
© 1997 Iké Udé
See more items in:
National Museum of African Art Collection
Data Source:
National Museum of African Art
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ys72ce94938-4a63-4ec1-b240-9c729395dc92
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nmafa_2003-21-2