Chuma: Seat At Home

Two green highways form the foundation of this piece, but the yellow bridge dominates as the focal point through its elevated position and vibrant colour. The background features traditional uli lines, appearing opaque due to the materials used. This artwork captures the weekly Monday lockdowns in Eastern Nigeria, where streets lie empty—a powerful symbol of collective resistance and political consciousness. While Igbo culture values individual thought (as expressed in traditional beliefs), the concept of "Igwebuike" (strength in numbers) manifests through these unified actions. The lockdowns, sparked by the detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, have become both a regular practice and a space for reflection on political marginalization. The piece explores the striking silence of empty streets and closed businesses, representing the tension between individual freedom and collective action in contemporary Eastern Nigeria.