An Emotional Response to the Art of Nnamdi Okonkwo

A likely question you may have when first confronted with the unique figures sculpted by artist Nnamdi Okonkwo might be, "What's with the rotund depictions of women in these figures?" At least, that's what I first asked myself. The emotional response to art is both universal and personal. This dichotomy is a fascinating aspect to the appeal of art of all sorts. In Okonkwo's women, there is something subtle, yet profound, about the friendly and warm figures that makes you want to linger on them as you let the effect they have on your emotions descend down over you. One might wonder why these simple figures have such an effect. We each get to speculate. I wonder if maybe it's a sense of the abundance that many of our own mothers instilled in us? Maybe it's just that the figures are simple, elegant, fluid, and compelling in the way they embody the female form. Maybe it's something else?

For Okonkwo, the appeal of depicting the female this way comes from both his own sense of proportion and shape, as well as the cultural ties that inform his work. The women he represents in his art are an outward manifestation of a "largeness of soul". The way he arranges the large, rounded shapes demonstrates his own sense of beauty, balance, and order. But coming to understand the effect of these figures on your own mind is a private introspective journey. And that's the magic of it all. Each observer gets an equal opportunity to make an emotional connection with his work. For many, it is a connection that strikes a deeply satisfying chord. It certainly does with me.

One of the Okonkwo works that no one can resist, but that many people find especially challenging is, They Are Waiting. This sculpture depicts three women sitting together in various poses, each waiting in a different way. And what could be more universal than waiting? We all do it, sometimes intensely. Each woman in the sculpture strikes the viewer in distinct ways.

For me, one of the women looks as if she is preoccupied in her own thoughts as she waits for the inevitable to occur. She looks slightly sad, or bored. Almost as if she is content to just sit and ponder until the bus or train pulls up to prompt her to raise her head and move gracefully on to whatever is next in her day. It looks as if that inevitable thing ever happens or not doesn't really matter to her.

The woman next to her looks slightly happier, as if she is being entertained by a bug out in front of her on the ground. She looks like she wouldn't mind if you walked up to her and started a conversation. Nothing too serious, maybe a request for directions to the laundry or library. She looks simple, but not dumb. I like her the most. She seems like someone I would feel comfortable confiding in.

The third figure by Okonkwo is more complex for me. She is asleep, but I wonder why. Did she have a late night? Is she bored? Maybe the events in her life have been so stressful that she has decided to wait in subconscious slumber as an avoidance. Clearly, her reasons are only known to her, but she above all depicts the humility and patience that is almost imposed on us when we are forced to wait.

A lot can be said about Nnamdi Okonkwo, but one thing that cannot be said is that his art doesn't illicit an emotional response in the observer. Whether you love it, or hate it, you will have to admit at least some appreciation of his work. I, for one, am grateful to have discovered it.