ABOUT TOCHUKWU ALOYSIUS IKE

Artist, Teacher, Environmentalist, Peace advocate, Cultural Resources Manager, Founder and Coordinator Art for Dialogue

Art for Intercultural Dialogue was an idea conceived in 1998 during a nationwide tour by Art students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. It was founded by Ike Tochukwu Aloysius, who is the coordinator of this project. Art for intercultural Dialogue showcases to the world, works of art by a group of Artists in and around National Museum of Unity Enugu, Nigeria who use their Art to promote intercultural dialogue, peaceful coexistence and understanding among people of diverse cultures. Art for Dialogue is against any form of discrimination or exclusion of anybody on the grounds of color, race, sex, physical disabilities or any form of prejudice.

Ike is Assistant Director Educational Services and Training, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Nigeria. He is presently the Head of Education Department of National Museum of Unity, Enugu. Ike was born in a coal mining city of Enugu, south eastern Nigeria on the 20th day of January 1970. He attended Union primary school Nsukka which he left in 1982, the same year he enrolled into Colliary Comprehensive secondary School Ngwo [a suburb of Enugu] and a school meant for Children of coal miners. Ike started early to manifest strong interest in visual art. He excelled in portraiture and was the cartoonist for his school’s Guardian Touch Magazine for many years.

WORLD VIEW

Ike’s world view was shaped largely by his artistic maternal grandmother and his Biological father. The former, an Uli artist is a firm believer in traditional African religion and the latter, a staunch Catholic. In his art, one can easily see the ‘dialogue’ between these two religions. According to Pontifical Council for Culture “a fruitful union between the Gospel of Christ and art will bring about new manifestation of beauty, born from the contemplation of Christ”. When nations gathered in the Upper room at Pentecost they all heard in their respective tongue a discourse about their own human culture? 

The essence is that the good news is meant to reach people of every culture in the form they will understand it. Art should be employed in the inculturation of the gospel to make it more meaningful to Africans. Ike, in his art use an approach which aims to introduce a new kind of dialogue which would make it possible to bring the originality of the gospel message, mesh it with traditional Igbo culture to enrich Christianity.

Photo credit: Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu (left picture) and St. Leo De Great Catholic Church, Enugu (right picture).

Photo credit: Tochukwu Ike

ULI ART

Uli is an ancient body painting and mural tradition invented by Igbo women, south eastern Nigeria. Ike is an Igbo man. The Igbos race occupies the southeastern part of Nigeria. Here, there is a very rich cultural heritage. Ike loves the Igbo culture. The Art of the Igbo people is unique and women play a central role especially Uli art. Igbo women used the human body for all sorts of inscription. Perhaps, because the human skin has to do with the person’s identity/ personhood, or because it is readily accessible, they use it as a media for artistic expression and communication. Apart from the human body, Uli symbols are now used extensively in Mural painting and stone painting. Ike’s grandmother was an Uli artist. Ike was her willing student.

Photo credit: Education Department, National Museum of Unity, Enugu

EDUCATION

Ike enrolled to study Fine and Applied Art at the prestigious University of Nigeria Nsukka, where he had the privilege of training under Prof. El Anatiu, Prof. Chike Aniakor, Prof. Ola Oloidi and Prof Chijioke Onuorah. University of Nigeria Nsukka Fine Arts department is well known for its unique style which involves exploration of hybrid art forms. Interestingly, this style is a blend of modern art and the traditional Igbo art [Uli is a major feature of Igbo art]. It was not difficult for Ike to blend into this system.

Ike with his mates in 1999 with Prof. Jerry Buhari of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. The Group with Prof. Chike Aniakor. Photo credit; Tochukwu Ike

Ike graduated magna cum laude early 2000 and in 2010, he obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Museology from the Institute of Archaeology and Museum Studies, an Institution founded by UNESCO. He went ahead to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma in Education [PGDE] in 2012 from the Institute of Ecumenical Education, Enugu. He is a registered Teacher (Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria). Ike also holds a Master’s Degree in Cultural Resources Management [Archaeology Department] from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

ART FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

Picture Credit: Tochukwu Ike

In 1998, the charismatic Art teacher, Professor Chijioke Onuorah of Art department of University of Nigeria Nsukka took a group of his students on a tour of major art centers in Nigeria. The idea was for his students to familiarize themselves with art styles of other ethnic groups. Some of the students includes; Tochukwu Ike, Ikechukwu Ugorji, Ikenna Ezenyirioha, Lucy Azubuike, Chizoba Nwaozuzu, Chika Ukwe, David Effiong, Uche Onyeisi and many others. That tour was an eyes opener that ignited the initial fire to find a link between different ethnic groups of Nigeria through their art.

National Youth Service Corps Program (NYSC)

Then the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) provided the incubator for the conception of Art for Intercultural dialogue project. NYSC was a program initiated by the federal government of Nigeria to promote national integration. It involves bringing together in one location, Youth from different parts of Nigeria covering different ethnic groups into a compulsory one year national service. This setting presented the opportunity to connect with young people from diverse ethnic background through art.

Uli ancient body painting art for instance traditionally is associated with Igbos of southeastern Nigeria, but NYSC program in the year 2000 in northern Nigeria provided the opportunity to introduce Uli Art to ladies of different ethnic groups at NYSC orientation camp at Yikpata.

LURE OF THE MUSEUM

Nigeria is a country of more than 250 ethnic groups; to enhance integration every Nigerian youth is expected to stay within a different ethnic group for a year. This one year experience was an opportunity for Ike to expand the concept and knowledge of Uli art to other cultures. Ike did a lot of Mural paintings and Exhibitions based on Uli in Ilorin which attracted the attention of Dr Omotosho Eluyemi, the then Director General of NCMM and Prof. Obafemi the then Chairman Governing Board of NCMM. Dr. A. B Areo {former Curator of National Museum Ilorin} single handedly facilitated the employment of Ike into the services of NCMM, the body empowered by law to oversee the administration of Museums in Nigeria.

MUSEUM CAREER

Within the last 24 years, Ike has served the Museum in many ways and has continued to showcase his art through many art Exhibitions. Since the year 2000 and 2006 he worked as Museum Education Officer in many Museums in northern and southern part of Nigeria. Ike continued to promote the idea of using his Art to promote Intercultural Dialogue. This may explain why he was transferred to Enugu immediately a new Museum of Unity was opened in Enugu in 2006.

NATIONAL UNITY MUSEUM

The original idea of idea of establishing National Unity Museums in Nigeria started after the Nigerian civil war to heal and unite the country after the devastating war through Art. What the Museum Managers basically did was to collect and display in one museum, thousands of Art works from Artists of the past from different ethnic groups in Nigeria. Some of the Art works are as old as 800 years. The art works were juxtaposition in such a way to highlight similarities in belief system and culture these ethnic groups before Europeans introduced Christianity in southern Nigeria and the Arabs introduced Islam in the north. The idea behind National Unity Museum is in tandem with Art for Intercultural Dialogue. Effort was channeled to marry and consolidate the two ideas.

MUSEUM EDUCATION

Luckily most Museum Education departments in Nigeria already have in place Art and skill acquisition programs for children and youth such as Saturday Art club, Museum clubs in schools and children long Holidays programs. It was easy to align and inculcate the ideas behind Art for Intercultural Dialogue. Through these museum education programs we made effort to instill and promote Intercultural relations among young people. Ike was in charge of Education department of National Museum of colonial History Aba from 2013 to 2016. He is presently the Head of Education Department of National Museum of Unity Enugu. Since 2019 the department renewed efforts to cover the interest of Persons with special needs. Before this period individuals with various forms of disabilities find it difficult to experience the museum fully.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG)

The United Nations General Assembly in 2015 adopted the 2030 agenda for Sustainable development with 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. Since then, Museum in Nigeria has demonstrated her commitment to help in achieving this global goal. In line with agenda Art for intercultural Dialogue and the Education Officers of National Museum of Unity, Enugu initiated in 2018 a public awareness program of recycling non-biodegradable waste into Art. It started with Museum Education officers picking spoons, plates and non-biodegradable waste materials jettisoned by these museum visitors and recycling them into Art. This effort aligns with completely with the United Nations SDGs, specifically Goal numbers three, six, 11, 13 and 15.

Goal 10 of the SDG targets 2030 to “empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status”. In view of this principle of “Leaving no one behind”,  Art for Intercultural Dialogue and the Education Officers of National Museum of Unity Enugu started producing replicas of Museum objects for visually Impaired children and those with autism. This effort soon became useful to others with various forms of disabilities.

PROFESSIONAL GROUPS

Ike has been involved in Public lectures and enlightenment program, educating Museum visitors, organizing Saturday Art Club for gifted Children, paper presentations and so on. Ike is a registered Teacher with Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN EN/R/03848). He is presently a member of Executive Society of Nigerian Artist, Enugu State chapter. He is also a member of International Council of Museums (ICOM) and International Committee for Education and Cultural Action CECA.