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Iwinosa Oyakhire Ekugum

@funmilayo_global

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Child Of God.
Researcher. Producer. Curator.
Creative Powerhouse.
“It is not of him that wills or runs.”

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Conversations with @unileipzig

Watch the full presentation here - https://youtu.be/se0HuMcGcCw?si=wmq_euHEKX0ziY_4 by @funmilayo_global

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8 months ago

As an emerging voice in African Arts and Culture, I often wonder: in telling the stories of my people, will I still be having these same debates in fifty years, conversations about restitution that have persisted, in various forms, for over 100 years?

Recently, I joined colleagues at the Brind Center for African and African Diasporic Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art @visitpham and the Barnes Foundation @barnesfoundation with the Digital Benin team @digitalbenin for a conversation forum on historic Benin collections, before returning home for the Institute for Benin Studies international conference: Beyond Restitution and Return of African Cultural Belongings @institute_beninstudies .

Across both spaces, these truths emerged:
• Restitution must be community-centered, anchored, and led.
• We must build the systems of stewardship and digital frameworks such as Digital Benin, that facilitate local knowledge production and strengthen institutional accountability.
• The Power of Storytelling: We must reclaim the right to curate our own history, prioritizing narratives that allow communities to speak for themselves with dignity, and continuity.
• Collaboration is the way forward. We need global partnerships to sustain this momentum.

The challenge for my generation is to push the discourse forward, focusing on recovering richer pre-colonial histories through intentional storytelling, while empowering the “Narratives of Now” through diverse artistic expressions eco-system building.

Thank you to the colleagues and pioneers who made these dialogues possible and worthwhile: our colleagues at the Brind Center, Imani Roach and Favour Ritaro; Alison Boyd at the Barnes Foundation; the Digital Benin team: Dr. Anne Luther, Prof. Kokunre Eghafona, Osaisonor Godfrey Ekhator-Obogie, Eiloghosa Obobaifo, and Mabel Oviahon; and our panelists: Dr. Ndubuisi Ezeluomba and Victor Ehikhamenor.

The future of heritage is being shaped in real-time. I am honored to be part of the dialogue.

P.S. I managed to always mispronounce the famous Philly Cheesesteak a “Chilly Cheesesteak” ... I guess the Nigerian in me was just looking for something “hot”! Like Mama Ebo’s Pepper Rice. by @funmilayo_global

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9 months ago

@baabfest_benin gave the opportunity to reflect on a critical question.

Why do some narratives get funded while others struggle for visibility?

Because funding is rarely neutral.

Behind every funded story is a value system, a belief about what is important, what is marketable, what is “global,” and what is worthy of attention.

Some narratives get funded because they align with existing power structures, political agendas, donor priorities, or global trends or are shaped by Eurocentric lenses, even when they do not reflect local realities.

Meanwhile, the stories rooted in our communities, our layered histories, our cultural memory and our lived experiences often remain underfunded not because they lack value, but because they don’t fit these boxes.

This is why local funding, curiosity, and local ownership matter, it means more narratives can exist on their own terms, not shaped by what the world wants to see but by what is true, necessary, and guarantees solutions that work! by @funmilayo_global

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a year ago

Bride Funmi was clear on how she wanted to look for this her white, she wanted to look sophisticated and we definitely delivered. ❤️

Beauty Artist @diolsclassics

Stylist @cynthiiagreene

Hairstylist @drellas_place

Designer @decentrefold

#traditionalweddingng
#lagosmua
#explorepage✨ by @funmilayo_global

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2 months ago

The one where one of oldest friend since University days 100 Level got married to the love of her life today… And she slayed. Bride Funmi @funmilayo_global took us all the way to Benin.

Beauty Artist @diolsclassics

Okuku artist @drellas_place

Designer @decentrefold

#traditionalweddingng
#lagosmua
#explorepage✨ by @funmilayo_global

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2 months ago

The video is the caption…. by @funmilayo_global

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2 months ago

Success is often the part people see. The journey is the part that shapes it. On this edition of Before the Spotlight, @funmilayo_global shares the moments, challenges, and experiences that have defined her creative path.

🎬 Premiering soon.

Shot and edited by @vfamous_motions

Special thanks to @moonlight_umbrella_artgallery for hosting us.

#CarvingDreamsAfrica #BeforeTheSpotlight #CreativeJourneys #AfricanCreatives #BehindTheSuccess #InspiringStories #CareerJourney#moonlightumbrellaartgallery by @funmilayo_global

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4 months ago

Yesterday was one for the books

Grateful for the conversations, the questions, and the people in the room.

More to come. The work continues.

Thank you to @digitalbenin @angelsandmuse

Thank You @babawaleobayanju @tellthatstory_ for documenting and sharing ! by @funmilayo_global

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6 months ago

Global relevance is built on local strength.

Local is not limiting.

Local is what allows us to stand, compete, and thrive globally.

If the system is not local, the growth is not sustainable.

Build local systems.
Keep value in circulation. by @funmilayo_global

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6 months ago

Join us at Kokopelli Gallery, Lagos, for a curated conversation exploring digital heritage at the intersection of culture, data, and practice.

Digital Benin and @thekokopelligallery brings together artists, curators, digital practitioners, and cultural researchers to reflect on the technical, ethical, and collaborative dimensions of building digital heritage platforms.

Register via the link in bio.

Image credit: Uhunmwu-Ẹkuẹ (Pendant Mask), 1978.412.323, Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://digitalbenin.org/catalogue/22_1978412323 by @funmilayo_global

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6 months ago

We are pleased to invite the public to a roundtable discussion with @angelsandmuse and Digital Benin @digitalbenin , an online platform documenting and providing access to thousands of Royal Art from the ancient Benin Kingdom.

Themed “Benin Heritage & New Forms of Narratives: Digital Access & Reconnection to the Living Heritage of Benin Kingdom,” this session with Digital Benin, centers on the intersection between digital tools, cultural knowledge, and creative practice.

The session will also feature a distinguished panel interrogating questions on how digital tools and digital heritage platforms like Digital Benin can open new frontiers in engaging with cultural knowledge.

The event is free to attend but registration is mandatory.
Spaces are limited and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register with the link in @angelsandmuse bio. by @funmilayo_global

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6 months ago