i’je awel’le:

A Beautiful Journey, A Safe Journey

I am Igbo, descended from the ancient kingdom of Onicha Ado n’Idu. My lineage stretches over four centuries, from the reign of Eze Chima to the current Igwe, bearing witness to an unbroken thread of culture, resilience and identity.

Centuries ago, during a period of unrest in the Benin Kingdom, a group of migrants set out in search of new land. Armed with relics of Portuguese firearms and a fierce desire for freedom, they were nicknamed “Onicha” — meaning “Despiser” — for the boldness with which they departed. This name, once a marker of defiance, evolved into an emblem of self-determination.

My hometown, Onicha, sits on the banks of the River Niger, a life-giving artery flowing from the Fouta Djallon highlands in present-day Guinea. Onicha has long been a crossroads of cultures, shaped by centuries of travel, trade and transition. To live here is to live with movement, of people, of goods, of ideas. Ours is a history of engagement with the world beyond our borders.

In the present day, Onicha’s people continue to traverse the globe, seeking opportunity, meaning and self-expression. We adapt, absorb and integrate, yet remain rooted in who we are. Our young people carry this duality with grace, pursuing dreams in music, sport, scholarship and enterprise, while honouring the legacy of their forebears.

The series i’je awel’le: A Beautiful Journey, A Safe Journey captures this spirit of forward movement. My recurring characters, alongside new ones, journey into love, selfhood and the unfamiliar. Works like ofu obi, love nwantinti and anyi bu ofu explore intimacy and union. Others — efizzy, dubem, Somto in pink jeans, asusu anya — embody confidence and defiance, standing at the intersection of tradition and contemporary identity. Each subject holds a quiet dignity, a presence I call the uche — a spiritual intelligence that elevates the work beyond mere portraiture.

Like their ancestors before them, the figures in i’je awel’le are in constant motion. Each one follows a path that is entirely their own. No two journeys are alike, because no two souls are the same. And so we honour them with the words of blessing passed down through generations: i’je awel’le — A Beautiful Journey, A Safe Journey.