Umana Ginigeme Nnochiri, (nee Umana Ekpe) is a contemporary Nigerian artist, textile/fashion designer and art educationist. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts (Textiles) from the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 of Uyo in Nigeria and a Masters degree in Art Education (Textiles) from the same university. She is currently studying for a PhD in Textiles and Fashion Design from the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 of Port Harcourt also in Nigeria.  She is a commonwealth fellow (2015) and has also attended courses in Project Management funded by the British Council.

Umana is currently a lecturer in the Department of Visual Arts and Technology of Cross River 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 of Technology, Calabar in Nigeria. She has attended many conferences and published in both local and international journals. She has also held exhibitions in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. She has curated exhibitions especially of final year students of Textile Design in her university.

Apart from the job of lecturing, Umana is also a studio artist who engages in research into indigenous culture and resources in her studio practice, adapting aspects of the rich cultural heritage of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States to produce carnival costumes and accessories for the Carnival Calabar, traditional African fashion and accessories like bags, shoes, hats, necklaces, wrist bands, bangles, etc. Her experience in the area of carnival costumes production spans twelve years.

Umana is also an entrepreneur, consultant on carnival costumes and cultural matters, African textiles and production methodologies. She has been a resource person in building capacities in these areas in Cross River State, Nigeria and abroad. She is the Chief costumier for the leading band of the Carnival Calabar, the Passion 4 band and designs also for the State's Carnival Commission. She has consulted in this capacity for Cross River State, Rivers State, and the Abuja Carnival.

Umana has trained many young persons, especially girls and women in crafts, textile and fashion production skills, costumes and props. She finds time to speak to youth and women groups on issues of entrepreneurial development, gender empowerment and academic excellence.

As a researcher, her interests include exploring indigenous resources for use as colour pigments. The nkugho, mbopo and other such traditions, the monoliths and nsibiri are her major inspirations to create designs for use in Carnival Costumes and other contemporary textile purposes. This is as a means of synthesizing an ancient culture and an emerging one, borne out of the desire to harness and utilize the natural and cultural resources available within the environments of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. By this, she believes the various cultures of the Nigerian states and Nigeria in general are transmitted for sustainability and national development.

Additionally, Umana creates sustainable recycle arts, textile and fashion while passing on a message of awareness on the benefits of promoting eco-friendly attitude and culture. Her Art generates creative and visual solutions to climate change that are aesthetically pleasing as well as educating.

PUBLICATIONS

Last Modified: Wed, 04 Oct 2017 08:29:59 SAST