Although pottery is often labeled as “craft” as opposed to art in Western narratives of art history, the perception of Ladi Kwali, in Nigeria and internationally, is that she was an artist rather than a craftswoman.
Let's go to the beginning of this story...
First Years
Ladi Kwali was born in the village of Kwali, in the Gwari region of northern Nigeria .
She learned to make pottery as a child from her aunt.
The Gwari region is an area renowned for its highly prized, hand-crafted women's pottery tradition.
Natural elements in vases
Kwali's decorations for her vases were primarily traditional images, usually of animals such as lizards, birds, and fish, which she created by drawing an outline with a knife and then using a cylindrical wooden tool to add texture to the design.
Her designs attracted attention and she was recognized regionally as a talented and eminent potter.
Talent noticed
At one point, her works were acquired by the Emir of Abuja , Alhaji Suleiman Barau, in whose house they were viewed by Michael Cardew in 1950.
Michael Cardew, was a British potter, who was appointed to the post of Ceramics Officer in the Department of Trade and Industry of the Nigerian colonial government in 1951.
He established the Pottery Training Centre in Suleja (then called "Abuja") in 1952. Ladi Kwali joined the Abuja Pottery in 1954, becoming its first female potter. This was a turning point in her career. After experimenting with new techniques she became an instructor.
"What is amazing about Ladi Kwali is that she was able to maintain her individual style whilst remaining true to her unique fable like storytelling narratives, with symbols drawn from the natural world that were the hallmark of her décor."
Magdalene Odundo
Gwari Room
By the time Cardew left her post in 1965, the Centre had attracted four more Gwari women: Halima Audu, Lami Toto, Assibi Iddo and Kande Ushafa. These women worked together in one of the workshops, which they called Dakin Gwari (the Gwari room), to hand-build large water vessels.
Awards and international recognition
- In 1977, she received an honorary doctorate from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria.
- In 1980, the Nigerian Government awarded her the insignia of the National Award of the Nigerian Order of Merit , the highest national honor for academic achievement.
- Her works are held in collections around the world, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, USA , the Victoria and Albert Museum , and the Aberystwyth University Ceramics Gallery, UK.
Legacy
Her legacy is so notable that her picture appears on the Nigerian 20 note.
In 2022, an exhibition titled Body Vessel Clay, Black Women, Ceramics & Contemporary Art, was held at Two Temple Place and York Art Gallery. This exhibition highlighted Ladi Kwali and her influence on a generation of Black artists, using Kwali as a starting point to tell the story of 70 years of ceramics by Black women.
Given this story, I leave you with a question about your history: Which tradition from your origins is most present in what places you in the world?