Dora Akunyili’s daughter, Njideka, shines at debut Texas exhibition
Njideka Crosby, daughter of late Dora Akunyili, former director general of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has received positive reviews as she made her debut exhibit in Texas on Tuesday.
This is the first time the 35-year-old resident of Los Angeles will be showing her works on paper at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Her husband, Justin Crosby being a sculptor born in Texas has helped her understand the city.
Njideka’s exhibit consists of six pieces divided into three pairs blending the cultural contexts of her dual identity.
Each piece was made using the same meticulous process, which involved everything from making lists to carefully selected photo transfers.
She used a variety of media, a combination of acrylic paint, photographs, coloured pencils, collages, charcoal, and fabric.
The visual artist also intentionally chose not to frame the images with the intention of getting viewers as close to the work as possible.
Hers are not overtly political works, but sincere layered explorations of living in an era of globalization.
“There’s an element of play in my work, just not coming across,” she said, standing in front of her work Dwell: Aso Ebi, featuring a woman sitting at a coffee table in blue stockings and a patterned dress.
Another of her works features a large, framed photograph of her parents in yellow formal clothing. Below them is a green floor composed of paint and small photo transfers of cultural icons, like former US first lady Michelle Obama.
Njideka grew up in Enugu and went to boarding school in Lagos. She was trained as an artist in Philadelphia and New Haven, Connecticut, US, before ultimately settling in Los Angeles.