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OZIOMA ONUZULIKEThe name of the series - Palm Kernel Shell Beads Project - hints at the singular form taken by the clay-formed pieces rooting the ensemble. They are simulacra of palm kernels - the element from which palm oil is extracted - and sometimes intermingle with actual palm kernels.After colonial times, the trade in palm oil, palm kernels and other African natural resources intensified. The Nsukka region, where the artist lives, was particularly renowned for its palm oil and palm kernel production. It was thus at the heart of unbalanced trade and power relations with the Western world. Onuzulike focuses on palm kernels for their historical significance. Although they naturally resemble pearls, the artist accentuates this feature by combining them with glass beads. Glass beads were used as currency, particularly during the period of slavery. They were also known as 'Slave Beads'. In contemporary African societies, beads became objects of prestige and social status, based in particular on the gesture of accumulation. From this symbol of commerce emerges a new symbol, this time a symbol of prestige and power.The kernels, collected by the poorest people, have become synonymous with destitution. By combining these antonyms - poverty and wealth - within the same structure, to recreate the fabrics and outfits worn by the high society, the artist has created a new symbol of power and prestige. Through his titles, he calls on figures of power and political events to transform the country, in order to revoke the past and establish a new future.
PALM KERNEL SHELL BEADS
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