by Marcellina Akpojotor (Artist), Marla C. Berns (Text by (Art/Photo Books)), Bruce Onobrakpeya (Text by (Art/Photo Books))
"But behind their dynamic patterns, Akpojotor's works tell a deeper story of family, femininity and female empowerment in contemporary African society." --Rochelle Beighton, CNN
Under her father's guidance, the Nigerian artist Marcellina Oseghale Akpojotor (born 1989) dabbled in drawing, design, stencil work and calligraphy from an early age. As she grew up, she pursued formal education in art and industrial design at the Lagos State Polytechnic, further honing her skills and broadening her artistic horizons. Akpojotor's art fascinates audiences worldwide through its unique use of mediums that probe the political and personal valences found within culture, identity and feminism. Employing a captivating blend of collaging and traditional painting techniques, Akpojotor's creations are marked by rich textures, layered compositions and colorful visual imagery. She transforms primarily discarded pieces of Ankara fabric, sourced from local fashion houses, into powerful canvases akin to "intriguing tapestries of twitchy and alluring tactile surfaces," as Frank Ugiomoh writes in his text contribution to the monograph.