Nok art represents some of the earliest examples of sophisticated african art in sub-Saharan Africa.  No one knows what the people actually called themselves and the name Nok comes from the town in modern day Kaduna state, where the first object was found in 1928. The fired clay or terracotta sculptures range in size from small pendants to life-size figures.

The objects’ age range from the Stone age (Neolithic) to the start of the Iron age. This means that Nok culture actually predates the Roman empire by at least 500 years and is thought to be one of the oldest organised societies in Africa.  

Research and analysis of dig sites has shown that the Nok were a  complex society with permanent settlements and centers for farming and manufacturing.  It is still unclear what happened to the Nok people, whose art has also been located in the Jos plateau. 

Unlike the Benin Bronzes most Nok artifacts can be viewed in nigeria at the Nigerian National Commission for Museums and Monuments, National Museum in Jos, the National Museum in Kaduma, and the National Museum in Lagos which all have extensive  collections of Nok art.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the diaspora, what would it be?

Stay true to yourself and your passion. Never stop learning. Never be ashamed to own your mistakes and correct them. Never cut corners, and do not be afraid to make those little consistent efforts

Book Review

My Sister, The Serial Killer. 

By Oyinkan Braithwaite

This is told in the first person by Korede who struggles with the dilemma of accepting that her sister is a psychopath who needs to be stopped while at the same time enabling and protecting her. 

It is brilliantly written and explores sibling relationships in the backdrop of the patriarchal society that is Nigeria.

We at IfeVida love this book because it’s frighteningly relatable and the first time we have seen a female Nigerian serial killer in fiction.  

It’s a refreshing change from the politically themed prose we grew up with and is representative of the new breed of writers from the African continent who are not afraid to explore new genres. 

The author,  Oyinkan Braithwaite, grew up in the United Kingdom but moved to Lagos as a teenager. She draws  inspiration from the madness of Lagos life. This is her debut novel and it won the Los Angeles Times Book prize for best mystery/thriller in 2019. It was also longlisted for the Booker prize the same year.

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