2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

80 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

T

HEREWASNOWAYNIKEDAVIES-

Okundayecouldlooktheotherway.For

afterall,shetoohadbeena victiminher

earlyteens.

Toomanywomenwerebeingpusheddown

thetraditionalpathofmarriageandchild-

rearinginhercountry.

Bornin 1951 inOgidi-Ijumu,a smallvillage

inwesternNigeriaknownforitsspectacular

rockformationsandtraditionalartindustry,

Davies-Okundayeresolvedtofightthispractice

fourdecadesago.

“Bytheageof13,theywantedtomarry

meoffbecausemyfatherhadnomoney.

I had to run away from home and join a

travelingtheater.I saidI didn’twantto

marryandwantedtopursueart,”recallsthe

internationally-renownedLagos-basedartist.

Notwantingtobecomeoneofsixwives

toa minister,Davies-Okundayefoundher

escapethroughadire, thenamegiventothe

Yorubacraftoftie-and-dyewhereindigo-dyed

clothismadeusinga varietyofresist-dyeing

techniques.Growingupina predominantly

artandcrafthousehold,Davies-Okundayeisa

fifth-generationartistwhodecidedtotakethe

craftseriouslyduetopoverty.

“Ihadnomoneytogotoschoolandthe

firsteducationparentsgiveyouistoteachyou

what they do. So, when I finished primary six

TextileartistNike

Davies-Okundaye

workedasa con-

structionlaborerand

carriedwaterand

firewoodtosurvive.

Theartofadiregave

herglobalfameand

sheis noweducating

generationsof

womeninNigeria.

BY PEACE HYDE

THE ART OF SURVIVAL