By Emmanuel Esomnofu
A myriad of questions will besiege your mind at the first glance of this work. After What? After work? After a disagreement? What happens after? After? After? After? It goes on and on.
In Chukwuma’s signature style, wood etchings, tin plates, colors and a story have found a union in this piece. This story happened in a room, for the presence of obvious things like a wall clock, and a wall frame hanging in between the two figures. To the left is a human figure sitting on a cuboid stool embellished with patterns, the figure is painted in deep orange and the carvings of the patterns on the wood run across the body of the image recalling the unique art of body decoration among many African cultures even the Igbos – a culture that has greatly influenced Chukwma’s inspiration for interpreting and understanding art. The figure is holding a cup in their hand. The second figure is also seated.
However, on a wider stool decorated with motifs, sitting in a position as if to cower, with heads bowed down like one coy from an action. Their legs folded in a “L” shape and hands wrapped around their chest like a shield. There is a bottle and a kettle in the background sitting on a platform before the wall.
The choice of color in this piece neither evokes excitement nor boredom. The range of colors suggests that the room has seen better days. The blue on the wall for example gives the notion that the wall was brighter when initially painted and the brightness has weaned from interaction with dirt over time. This is present in all colors used in this painting. This and the impression of size given in this piece does not suggest a spacious or flamboyant room. There is no noticeable interaction between the two figures, one is seen with a cup in the hand, obviously drinking from the presence of the bottle, an action that follows excitement. The other figure in a state of sobriety – heads bowed and cowered. What could have happened between them before now to elicit the title “After”, and the silence that emanates from the work as the viewer’s curiosity is aroused when engaging with this piece?.
The first impression on sighting this work is that of quietude occasioned by an event whose outcome is not pleasing to the two parties involved, while they have both decided to respond differently, the artist without taking sides displays the two reactions for the public to engage.
Chukwuma’s work presents a layered narrative that invites the viewer to explore the psychological and emotional dynamics at play between the two figures. The contrasting postures and dispositions of the figures suggest a moment of aftermath, where an event—perhaps a confrontation or a significant decision—has left both individuals in a state of reflection. The piece captures that fleeting, yet heavy, silence that often follows intense interactions. This silence, however, is not empty; it is filled with unspoken words, emotions held in check, and the weight of what just transpired.
The artist’s use of symbolic elements, such as the worn colors and traditional motifs, adds depth to the scene, grounding it in a cultural context while also universalizing the experience of human conflict and resolution. The faded colors, for example, signify not only the passage of time but also the fading of emotions—from the initial intensity to a subdued state of contemplation. The viewer is left to wonder whether this moment is the end of a relationship, a pause before reconciliation, or something else entirely. Chukwuma’s ability to capture this ambiguity is what makes the piece compelling; it draws the viewer in, not just to observe, but to imagine the stories that led to this “After,” and the possibilities that might unfold from it.
Emmanuel Esomnofu is a guest author.
