Nigerian artist Ekene Ngige’s exhibition titled This Little Light of Mine emanates from his childhood memories of living with a physical disability. The inspiration expanded over the years as he watched recurring abductions and killings of children in Northern Nigeria.
“I faced a physical challenge all my life; there were doubts about the success of my future, but I held onto my light real close. I followed my passion for art, and now I am showing my little to the world. Those abducted kids did not have that opportunity,” he voices.
Curated by Mercy Imiegha, This Little Light of Mine opened at BoConcept, Westlands, on November 29 and runs until December 20. The series has 20 artworks, with three main ones depicting a child holding a candlelight to represent hope. Usually, his coffee is his only medium.
“Coffee represents the energy emitted by children even amidst challenges or societal shadows, which is represented by the dark shade,” he says.
Also, this time, he used coffee powder with roasted coffee beans combined with acrylic and an electric candle. He explains that he was going for depth that would enrich the aesthetics of the artworks when depicting his subjects in a dark background.
“I am using a medium that people of Nairobi associate with warmth, memory and belonging. It is like entering a home where the scent of my art feels familiar,” he says.
To get subjects for his pieces, he searched among family, friends, and his community for Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa children with certain qualities who could be references for his work. Where he could not find the exact look, he sought AI-generated images.
This exhibition urges parents, teachers, and community leaders to protect the inner light of children by creating safe spaces for self-expression. “I pose the question of whether we listen to children deeply. Do we create spaces for them? The conversation is about emotional safety as much as physical security,” he says.
Ngige hopes viewers of this exhibition leave with inspiration and knowledge of the light within children, and celebrate the uniqueness of coffee.