Amarachi Odimba
College of Fine Arts Studio Art (MFA)
I am my hair
Amarachi Odimba is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist and second-year MFA candidate at Florida State University. She holds a B.Sc. in Geology and Mining from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, which informs her exploration of identity, place, and belonging. Amarachi has participated in workshops, residencies, and exhibitions locally and internationally, including her second solo exhibition, BE/LONGING, at Urevbu Contemporary, Memphis (2022). A recipient of the Africa Technology and Creative Group Fund (2020) and the Art Moves Africa (AMA) grant (2015) for her residency EDUFUNCTION at Nafasi Art Space, Tanzania, her works are in private collections in many parts of the world.
My research explores cultural identity and the diasporic experience, intertwining personal narratives with collective memory through mixed-media paintings and installations. A key element in my practice is the iconic blue/red/black plaid bag, commonly known as Ghana Must Go—a lightweight, affordable travel essential in my journeys, deeply tied to migration across the Global South and Nigeria’s socio-economic history. Drawing on the shared social and psychological experiences of myself and fellow foreign students in Tallahassee, I deconstruct these bags and incorporate monochromatic acrylic portraits of my subjects, painted on canvas and sewn into the bag’s fabric. Through folding, sewing, and warping, the materials create a tension where figures seem to merge and undulate, mirroring the contours of the fabric. This dynamic interplay serves as a metaphor for the diasporic experience—an individual navigating precarious realities while also existing as a distinct entity shaped by displacement. Through representation, abstraction and material manipulation which exposes while at the same time obscuring the faces, I create immersive compositions that evoke notions of transition, memory, and transformation. With the utilitarian aspects of the bag remaining visible to reference its original purpose, I further incorporate craft elements like sequin and rhinestones to accentuate the plaid pattern of the bags both to celebrate resilience and to critique the embellished façade of adaptation—the urge to maintain superficial appearances even as deeper truths persist within the undulations.
Artwork Description:
The two portraits in this work reference the traditional threaded hairstyles I wore while growing up, known in Igbo culture as Isi-Eri/Isi Owu (threaded hair). These styles also draw from J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere’s photographic documentation of African hairstyles. Through this piece, I examine the intersections of labor, community, and identity within Black hair culture, reflecting on my daily hair routine and the evolving dynamics of Black hair practices across geographies. Ultimately, this work highlights how hair serves as an extension of self—an embodiment of personal and cultural identity