The Owu masking tradition of the Igbo people of South Eastern Nigeria is a spiritually motivated prolific art form and cultural mechanism that negotiates life, gender, social intgration, and identity. It addresses universal human issues and appropriates modernity.
Paper long abstract:
This paper reflects on my repeat encounters with the Owu-Okoroshi masquerade and festival among the riverine Igbo of South Eastern Nigeria 1979-2009. Today, masquerades are demonized byvarious Churches, but the Owufestival is a cornerstone for integrating society (Azogu) and also a part of the indigenous echatology (Achebe). While some masks and shrines are being destroyed, others are still florishing. Their multifarious artistic spectacles are timed festivals with performances that continue to entertain, celebrate,teach, satyrize, expose, challenge and negotiate contemporary life in the oil-rich Niger delta.