Projects and Publications

The Benin Red Book #3 Explore Project

The Benin Red Book #3

*A Window into the Soul of a People*

At a glance:

  • Landmark multi-volume documentation project (in progress).
  • Built on a landmark partnership with NCMM, establishing the framework for a growing circle of collaborators.
  • Traces creativity from the Dufuna Canoe — dating back some 8,000 years (c. 6000 BC) to today.
  • Builds on The Benin Red Book and expands to national scope.

Significance: Positioned to “restore Nigeria’s unbroken cultural thread and build the foundation of a true visual arts economy.”

The Benin Red Book #2 Explore Project

The Benin Red Book #2

At a glance:

  • Landmark project uniting ecology, climate change, heritage, and art.
  • Main Feature: Exhibition of Paintings by Dr Ed DeBebs
  • Featured photographs of the Niger Delta mangroves by Oriiz U. Onuwaje.
  • Supported by three documentaries.
  • Extended through the MangrovePlus YouTube Channel for global engagement.

Impact: Praised for “illuminating how heritage and ecology intertwine in African narratives.”

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Media & Press

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Essays

Queen Idia’s Mask and the iPhone

Form is never neutral. It is always charged with meaning. Few objects illustrate this truth more vividly than the ivory mask of Queen Idia, mother of Oba Esigie of Benin, and the iPhone, the global device of our age. At first glance, they appear worlds apart — one, a 16th-century masterpiece carved from elephant tusk, […]

06 Oct 2025 / Read more...
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