I met an Eddic Once by Aida Oluwagbemiga

I met an?Eddic?Once?by Aida?Oluwagbemiga?

This exhibition is inspired by a civilization now at the brim of extinction, a very unique and quite interesting group of people rumoured to be an ancient Scandinavian tribe, long settled in the coastal plain of Africa.??

Today, located in Ebonyi state and referred to as the?Afikpo?tribe.??

While most people would like to meet?Eddics, speak to them and make them a spectrum of their curiosity, my experience left me with more questions, an abyss, a reflective sense of consciousness enough to re-assess the earth now, its dimensions, global warming, the growing concern of extinction in languages, cultures, species and our mechanized indulgence.??

Myths, folklores, cultures, the histories cultivate our acquired taste as earthlings, the memories we have, the infinite fleeting moments gathered and the tranquillity we seek.???

There’s so much newness surrounding us, we may never be able to stop the sun from crashing into the only earth we will ever know, or bring back Aramaic as a language or relive the days of Mammoths in all their glory. However, we must take moments to remember, as remembrance is a moral act and be one with the earth by finding new ways to be inspired, maybe through fables and tales by moon light, but more importantly taking a step back from the mechanized haranguing of today to find a space only for us, to be reminded of the Universe’s beauty in blinding lights.??

Three Artists are featured in this exhibition, 2 are Len shutters whose pictures are from travels, the third a whimsical painter inspired by growth. Wanderer’s Parade has a keen eye of France documenting this old city as the world questionably faced the extinction of a race, with the Covid 19 pandemic.??

Aliyu Musa’s works are a contrast as his works are based on journeys into the wild to connect with the Earth, escaping Urban ruin. Grim Hunny captures a surreal plain in bright purply and pink tones in a dreamy pursuit, of a world filled with light, colours & dreams. Together we have a dream, captured the state of the world with industrialization ushering a new and improved way of life and what we fear will one day be dead and forgotten.??

I met an?Eddic?on a rainy night here in Abuja. We conversed briefly, little else remains, there are no supporting statues, monuments or century old narrations on cave walls to remember ‘The words sound but the face in the Istrian sun is forgotten.’, I resigned myself to this being a myth, as I dwelled on this, how unbelievable it all seems, I thought to myself this will be a great story to tell.?

To support this exhibit are poetry on death and extinction, colonialism and a sense of loss and beauty, poems and written materials which flows with the entire theme of the ambiguity of being on this earth side, the mystery which repels and the mystery which attracts, the latter it is for us today.?

A paper on?Eddics?by Aida?Oluwagbemiga?for the?‘ I?met an?Eddic?once Exhibition at Fure by?Furayya?Gallery, presented on 1st?August 2021, Abuja)?