APRIL 2020 FORBES AFRICA| 81FORBESAFRICA
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Theyusedto getthe
policeto arrestme
becausetheysaidI was
tryingto teachfeminism
in NigeriabecauseI
went to America.andI hadnosupportto
gotosecondaryschool,
I saidtomyself,‘letme
masterartsoI canteach
otherwomentoalsouse
theirhandtomakea
livingthroughtheirown
artwork’.”
Davies-Okundaye
wasforcedtoworkin
themale-dominated
constructionsector,
carryingconcrete
inpanstobuilders
inordertosaveone
shilling,justenough
tobuya yardof
fabrictocreate
whatshecalled
wall-hangingart.
Hergoalwasto
usethetraditional
wax-resistmethods
todesignpatterned
fabricina dazzling
arrayoftintsand
hues.Theadiredesignis
theresultofhand-painted
workcarriedoutmostly
bywomenandthrough
that,Davies-Okundaye
sawa waytohelpwomen
tobecomeeconomically
empowered.Afterall,her
firstbreakinlifecameasa
resultofthat.
“TherewasnootherjobI wasdoing
apartfromadire. I wasluckytheAmerican
governmentcametoNigeriatorecruitan
AfricanwhowillteachAfricanAmericans
howtomaketraditionaltextilesorcraftsin
thestate.ThatishowI wasluckyandgot
picked.”
Davies-Okundayewastheonlywoman
ina classof 10 menwhowereflownto
MaineinnortheasternUnitedStatesin
1974.Thatiswhereherwholeoutlookon
lifechanged.
“BeforeI wenttoAmerica,I usedto
carry three drums of water every day andcarryfirewoodtobeabletosurvive.Itwaslikea
breakthroughinmylifewhenI reachedAmerica.
I said‘isthisheaven?’I wastheonlywomaninthe
classandallthemenwerelearningwomen’slooms
andI kepttellingthem‘thisisforwomen’andthey
said‘yes,inAmerica,whata mancando,a woman
canalsodo’.”
Thiswasinstarkcontrasttowhatsheknewtobe
trueinNigeriaatthetime.
“Ifyourhusbandisanartist,youarenotallowed
to do art. In the 1960s, if yourhusbandhasa PhD,
youarenotallowed
toalsohavea PhD.
Youhadtogive
roomforyour
husbandtobeyour
boss.”
Shedecidedto
beatthoseage-old
stereotypes.
Asoneof 15
wivestoherthen-
husbandatthetime,
Davies-Okundaye,
withhernewfound
knowledgegainedin
America,starteda revolutionathome.Sheencouraged
theotherwivestocreatetheirownartbusinessusing
adire.
“Isaid‘ifyoulearnthis,youcanearna livingby
yourselfandgetyourpowerbecauseyourmoneyis your
power’andthatis howtheyalsostartedlearningit.I
didn’tstopsharingtheknowledgethere.I gatheredgirls
onthestreetswhoweresellingkolanutsandpeanuts
andstartedtrainingthem.I said‘ifthistextilecantake
metoAmerica,letmeteachotherpeople’,”saysDavies-
Okundaye.
Andthathasbeenhercallingeversince.Davies-
Okundayeis thefounderanddirectoroffourartcenters,
whichofferfreetrainingto 150 youngartistsinNigeria
invisual,musicalandperformingarts.
Oneofthecentersis thelargestartgalleryinWest
Africacomprisingover7,000artworks.
“Theyusedtogetthepolicetoarrestmebecausethey
saidI wastryingtoteachfeminisminNigeriabecauseI
wenttoAmerica.TheysaidI wasgoingtocorruptour
NigerianwomenbutI believeGodsentmetoliberatea
lotofwomenwhohavethepassionforwhatmakesthem
happybutareafraidtodoit becauseofwhatpeople will
say. I say do what makes you happy always!”