Oluchi Ughanze

Email: oluchi.lulu@gmail.com

The Necessities: A Reference to Psalm 127

This is a rendering of some basic items an average woman has with her. At the same token these can be a sign of wealth and affluence. They hold all that she toils for. Yet, in one fail swoop they be gone. Ive often heard woman men say, I were to loose my person, well there goes my life. This painting is my interpretation of life today in conjunction to Psalm 127, which states to have trust in God and not in the matters of man. The objects rendered represent matters of the flesh. The emptiness represents a person changed or a space waiting to be filled.
Medium: Acrylic on masonite

The Tree of Sin and Evil

This is a reference to the seven deadly sins. The tree is life. I choose to use hands to express the sins because too often has it been interpreted through a rendering of a whole human figure, and moreover a woman. I wanted to dethatch gender and facial expression . By using hands to depict the sins, I tried take something many of us take for granted and think more or less innocently about and show that even hands can be evil. In fact, its our go-to tool when sinning.
Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Sunrise Warrior Mask

This piece is culturally influenced. Its a female masquerade mask from Nigeria. The graduation of color from lighter to dark is used to bring pride to your comrades and fear to your enemies. There texture was created in order to give the impression of usage. Despite the warm colors the feeling of coldness and eeriness is not dismissible due to the ominous eyes and cold dripping lips. Medium: Acrylic on masonite

In Hopeful Anticipation
This is a painting of a woman on her wedding day. The woman happens to be my mother. This painting was especially difficult because of that. However I was able please her. I spent much time on the fabric trying to express the silkiness of the fabric. I also spent much time on the eyes trying to bring as much life to them as possible. Medium: acrylic on masonite

Abstraction: Sitting in Motion

This a biomorphic form. The subject matter is an abstraction of a man sitting on a bus seat with one leg resting on another. I extracted the obvious details, face and limbs. I abstracted it down to his posture and the chair he sat on. The paint finish replicates a carved pearl.
Medium: Plaster; chicken wire; cheese clothe; paint

Une Papillion: Bird in Flight

This is a found objects piece in which the shape resembles a bird, but the color and some features resemble an insect. The creative process for this piece was organic. I played around with the pieces and magically a form began to appear. In a way this piece represents my flight in sculpture because it was my first sculpture.
Medium: found objects; paint

Prime
Named Prime because of the use of colors, the expressions depicted in the image are also primal instincts: frustration, fear, anger (from left to right). I chose the colors in correspondence to the expressions and the material used. The eyes are the best features in the piece and truly convey their corresponding emotions.
Medium: charcoal, water color on paper. Awarded honorable mention for Foundations Drawing Class in HCC Student Art Show.

Pearlessence
This cup was designed for drinking brandy. The dark color of the cup compliments the brandy. The focus of the piece are the pearl like balls, the ring around the bottom
Technique: pinch coil

Ogi Bowl for Joseph

Pronounced Awe-ji, this bowl is perfect for a serving Ogi, a traditional Nigerian dish used in ceremonial events and greeting customs.
Technique: spun on wheel

Soup for Ify

This bowl was made with my sister, Ify, specifically in mind. The handles allow for easy lifting and heat protection. The green color is calming. The tip or beak of the bowl allows for easy access drinking. I added nice swirl pattern to finish it off for ascetic appeal. The focus of the piece is the plain and simple interior, there is no true direction in this piece.
Technique: Pinch

Fossilized Egg
This egg shaped piece works great as a paper weight, shelf stopper, and decorative piece. The color really gives off fossilized feel. The focus of the piece is the twisted tip.
Technique: Pinch

Tribal Tile
This is a simple tile with an abstract symbol carved into it. The color and the texture give off an archeological vibe. The lines direct the eyes diagonally across the piece in both directions. The focus is the widest impression.
Technique: Slab

Cornucopia
Not ideal for food, this horn shaped piece is a cross between a sea shell and a horn. Great for decoration. This was my first ceramics piece. The direction of the piece is from the outside in due to the shape, the detail at the mouth of the piece and the indented detail that leads your eye to the bigger rim of the piece. The focus then becomes the green interior.
Technique: Slab