The Art Place, Ikeja November 2021
In the buzzing heart of Lagos, where the city rarely sleeps and stories spill from every corner, a quieter narrative unfolded. From November 21st to 27th, 2021, visual artist and fine art photographer Chidozie Maduka invited guests into an introspective world with his solo exhibition, “Ntughari Uche” a body of work as still as it is stirring.
Titled after the Igbo word for “Reflection,” the series is a visual soliloquy. Through the lens of a boy gazing at his own reflection, Maduka crafts a deeply emotional dialogue between self and soul. These are not just images; they are unspoken questions, captured moments that live somewhere between pain and healing, hiding and revealing.
In one particularly arresting photograph, the boy stretches his hand toward the mirror not in vanity, but in yearning. He’s not adjusting his features; he’s trying to reach something unseen: truth, connection, perhaps forgiveness. His partially obscured face becomes a powerful stand-in for all of us the parts we hide, the things we protect, and the truths we’re still not ready to face.
Maduka’s aesthetic is deliberate stripped down, bare, and honest. Minimalist compositions, dramatic shadows, and careful lighting strip away distractions, leaving space for emotion to speak. There’s a poetry in the silence of these frames, a rhythm in their stillness.
More than an exhibition, “Ntughari Uche” is a mirror held up to the human experience inviting viewers not to just look, but to see themselves. The work challenges the viewer: Who are you when no one is watching? Who are you beneath the expectations, the performance, the projection?
Throughout the week-long showing, The Art Place became a haven for art collectors, creatives, culture lovers, and quiet thinkers. The response was visceral. Some stood in silence. Others cried. Many returned.
For Chidozie Maduka, this isn’t just about photography. It’s about emotional memory. It’s about identity. And it’s about reflection in every sense of the word.
This isn’t the beginning of his journey, but it might just be the work that makes the world stop and pay attention.
Comments are closed.