Best of Bruce

The Aba Na Nya series is named after the fabrics that have been used as a textile canvas for his work. Individual mask like faces created from engravings and multi-media collages with pieces of cloth have been photographed using a new xerograph technique. Aba Na Nya is an Okpe (Urhobo) word that became well known as an expression of disapproval of inferior fabrics introduced into Nigerian markets. Aba Na Nya therefore is a metaphor for change. The pictures made partly from the collage of fabric left over by wife’s dressmaker, are not graphic illustrations of stories of change, rather they are inspiration and invitation for us to tell our own stories of change. The series depicts various stages of change in Nigerian society that are of interest to the artist. The series, which will consist of a major installation of fifty faces, proves that artistic interpretations of Nigerian culture and society still leave room for many forms of complex and subtle negotiation.