How This Nigerian Textile Artist Took Traditional Aso Oke Global!
From a 20-year career as an NHS trust solicitor and Chief Strategy Officer in healthcare law to becoming a viral African textile artist, Siba’s journey reveals how traditional Nigerian craft is conquering the global art scene. Discover how she leverages the centuries-old Yoruba weaving traditions of Iseyin to create stunning modern tapestries and sculptures that captured the attention of the Saudi Ministry of Culture. [01:57]
In this exclusive Go Local Special Edition on BusinessDay Television, host Akeminiobong Michael sits down with the brilliant textile artist and author, Usibakaiye Agbeyegbe.She opens up about her sudden career pivot triggered by a move to the Caribbean, where she realized black heritage communities had lost connection with ancestral handwoven textiles. By transforming traditional Aso Oke strips into modern sculptural figurines and tapestries like the “Emerging Elephant,” she bridged a 400-year cultural disconnect and launched a thriving solo art career. [04:37]
The episode also highlights a historical milestone: how Siba brought an Iseyin master weaver, Mr. Ayuba, to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to reconstruct a flat-packed, IKEA-inspired traditional loom at London Craft Week and Middle Eastern exhibitions. Siba discusses her new children’s book, Mr. Ayuba and his Amazing Loom, published under her indie imprint, Looms of Africa. This conversation is a masterclass in creative entrepreneurship, preserving African heritage, and proof that your local roots can take you anywhere in the world. [11:58]
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Introduction to Go Local & Local Creativity
01:18 – Meet Siba: From Healthcare Law to Fine Art
03:03 – Growing Up in the UK and Practicing Law in Nigeria
04:37 – The Caribbean Disconnect: Why I Turned Fabric into Art
06:03 – “Cognition” Solo Exhibition & Sculpting Black Finery
08:36 – African Tapestries: Applique & Explored Textile Beauty
11:01 – Writing Mr. Ayuba and his Amazing Loom
14:40 – The Ancient Weaving History of Iseyin, Oyo State
15:42 – How Mr. Ayuba Went Viral in Saudi Arabia
17:06 – Reinventing the Traditional Loom as a Flat-Pack
19:49 – Launching Looms of Africa Printing Press
21:04 – Closing Thoughts on BusinessDay Television
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