Congolese Artist Turns Egg Trays Into Armour for Peace

By Udemma Chukwuma

( Tembele Christian (HPM) performs Costume de Paix, transforming recycled egg trays into symbolic armour in a powerful call for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.)

Some artworks seek admiration. Others demand reflection. Costume de Paix (Costume of Peace) by Congolese multidisciplinary artist Tembele Christian (HPM) belongs to the latter. Through performance, sculpture, and symbol, HPM turns discarded egg trays into a haunting visual language for the conflict devastating the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At first glance, the costume looks almost surreal, an armour worn by a silent guardian, built entirely from recycled egg trays. But this is not the armour of war. It is the armour of vulnerability. Egg trays exist to protect fragile things; in HPM's hands, they become a metaphor for peace itself, precious, delicate, and constantly under threat.

The choice of recycled material is both practical and pointed. It echoes the resilience of communities rebuilding from ruin while quietly challenging the assumption that powerful art needs expensive materials. Ordinary objects become extraordinary carriers of meaning.

The clock embedded in the performer's mask becomes the work's emotional centre. It suggests that peace cannot remain an abstract future goal; every passing minute carries the weight of lives lost, and communities fractured. Time itself becomes an indictment of inaction.

Long white strands cascade across the costume, softening its otherwise rugged form. The artist identifies them as symbols of hope and peace; in motion, they create a striking tension between gentleness and suffering. The black rubber woven through parts of the costume serves as a counterweight, representing the unseen political, economic, and military forces that continue to sustain violence.

What makes Costume de Paix most compelling is that it lives as performance rather than static sculpture. As HPM walks through public streets, the work leaves the gallery behind. Shoppers, children, motorists, and passers-by become an unintended audience. The street itself becomes a stage, interrupting everyday life with an urgent question: How long can we continue to watch while violence persists?

The photographs reveal people gathering with curiosity rather than indifference. Drummers accompany the procession, adding rhythm and ritual to the experience. The work shifts from an object to be observed into a collective encounter, an invitation to reflect on peace, justice, and memory.

A globe attached to the costume broadens the narrative beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It suggests that the country's crisis cannot be understood in isolation. Regional politics, international interests, and global silence all become part of the story HPM is telling.

If there is one point worth considering critically, it is that some of the symbolism becomes fully apparent only after reading the artist's statement. Viewers encountering the performance without that context may not immediately grasp every symbolic reference. Yet this does not diminish the work. Instead, it demonstrates how performance art often acquires greater depth through the interplay of image, movement, and narrative.

Costume de Paix succeeds because it resists spectacle for its own sake. It is visually memorable and politically engaged without becoming didactic. HPM reminds us that art can bear witness, challenge complacency, and create space for dialogue where silence has grown too comfortable.

In a world saturated with images of conflict, Costume de Paix refuses to let violence become ordinary. It asks us not simply to witness suffering but to recognise that peace is as fragile as the materials from which the costume is built. Long after the performance ends, its urgency remains.

Verdict: Costume de Paix is a thoughtful and moving work of socially engaged contemporary African performance art. Through inventive materials and powerful symbolism, Tembele Christian (HPM) transforms everyday waste into a compelling call for peace, memory, and collective responsibility.

Grants, Residencies and International Open Calls Artists Shouldn't Miss This Month

An artist at work in a studio during an artist residency programme. (Photo courtesy of Transit Artist Foundation.)

August is packed with opportunities for artists seeking funding, international exposure and residency programmes. From a UK government-backed grants scheme to a fully funded U.S. fellowship, here are some of the most compelling opportunities currently open, and what Nigerian and African artists need to know before applying.

Bronze Master Nnamdi Okonkwo Takes His Figures to Loveland

By Chioma Orji

Nigerian-born sculptor Nnamdi Okonkwo with one of his signature bronze sculptures ahead of the 42nd Sculpture in the Park in Loveland, Colorado. (Photo courtesy of the artist.)

The 42nd edition of Sculpture in the Park, one of the United States' longest-running outdoor sculpture exhibitions and sales, returns to Loveland, Colorado, from August 7 to 9, 2026.

Organized by the Loveland High Plains Arts Council, the annual event brings together hundreds of sculptors and thousands of collectors and art enthusiasts for a weekend celebrating contemporary sculpture. Over the decades, it has built an international reputation for showcasing works in bronze, stone, wood, steel, glass, ceramics and mixed media.

Among this year's featured artists is Nnamdi Okonkwo, the Nigerian-born, U.S.-based sculptor renowned for his elegant bronze figures exploring themes of family, unity, love and human connection. His stylized, emotionally resonant works have earned international recognition, making his participation one of the highlights of this year's exhibition.

The weekend opens with a Patron Party on Friday, August 7, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., followed by public exhibition hours on Saturday, August 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, August 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Held at Benson Sculpture Garden, Sculpture in the Park remains a major gathering for artists, collectors and sculpture enthusiasts, offering visitors the opportunity to view and acquire works from some of today's leading sculptors. Okonkwo's participation further reflects the growing global recognition of African artists and their contributions to contemporary sculpture.

Nnamdi Okonkwo is a Nigerian-born, U.S.-based sculptor internationally acclaimed for his distinctive bronze sculptures that celebrate family, love, unity, faith, and the human spirit. A graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he has developed a signature style characterized by smooth, rounded forms and expressive, faceless figures that convey universal emotions and relationships. His monumental public commissions and gallery works are held in private and public collections across the United States and internationally. Through his sculptures, Okonkwo continues to explore themes of hope, community, and shared humanity.

Vantage Point 13 Turns the Lens on Identity and Memory

By Udemma Chukwuma

(Visitors explore an exhibition at the Sharjah Art Foundation, where Vantage Point 13 opens on 8 August 2026 at the Photography Gallery in Al Manakh, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation.)

Photography has always documented the world. Increasingly, however, it is also questioning it. Moving beyond straightforward record-keeping, it now probes identity, belonging and the tangled realities of modern life. That shift lies at the heart of Vantage Point 13, opening on 8 August 2026 at the Sharjah Art Foundation's Photography Gallery in Al Manakh, where it will remain on view until 29 November 2026.

Now in its thirteenth edition, Vantage Point brings together six internationally recognised photographers, Maheder Haileselassie, Adam Rouhana, Guanyu Xu, Latifa AlBokhari, Luisa Dörr and Sathish Kumar, each presenting a newly commissioned body of work. This year's exhibition also marks an important milestone as it becomes the first edition of Vantage Point to be presented in the Foundation's dedicated Photography Gallery, reaffirming photography's central place within its contemporary art programme.

Rather than presenting photography as objective evidence, the exhibition considers the medium as a space where memory, identity and perception are continually negotiated. Through distinct visual approaches, the participating artists examine the ways images shape personal histories, cultural narratives and collective memory. The inclusion of Ethiopian photographer Maheder Haileselassie also highlights the growing visibility of African voices within major international photography exhibitions, adding an important continental perspective to the wider conversation.

Curated by Sara Al Mheiri, Assistant Curator, and Osemudiamen Ekore, Curatorial Assistant, the exhibition reflects the Sharjah Art Foundation's commitment to presenting ambitious contemporary art projects that encourage cross-cultural dialogue. Over the years, the Foundation has become one of the Middle East's leading contemporary art institutions, recognised for its exhibitions, commissions and educational programmes that connect artists from the Arab world, Africa, Asia and beyond.

More than a showcase of compelling photographs, Vantage Point 13 invites visitors to reconsider the role of photography in an age of rapid social and technological change. Instead of offering definitive answers, the exhibition encourages audiences to reflect on how images influence memory, construct identity and shape the stories societies tell about themselves.

For photographers, curators, collectors and lovers of contemporary art, the exhibition promises an engaging encounter with some of today's most thoughtful photographic practices. As conversations around visual culture continue to evolve, Vantage Point 13 demonstrates that photography remains not only a powerful means of documentation but also an essential tool for reflection, interpretation and cultural exchange.

How Lagos Quietly Became Africa’s New Art Powerhouse

By Udemma Chukwuma

A visitor engages with an immersive installation during an ART X Lagos programme, reflecting Lagos' growing reputation as a leading centre for contemporary African art. Image Courtesy: ART X Lagos.

Everyone knows Lagos as the city that never stops moving; the markets, the traffic, the business deals, the conversations and the unmistakable energy of a place constantly reinventing itself. But beyond the familiar image of Lagos as Nigeria’s commercial capital is another story unfolding: the rise of a city that has become one of Africa’s most exciting destinations for contemporary art.

Step into the right gallery on a weekend evening, and you discover a different Lagos. Artists gather around new exhibitions, collectors search for the next important voice, curators create conversations around ideas and identities, and audiences encounter artworks that reflect the complexity of modern African life.

Lagos is no longer simply participating in the global art conversation. It is becoming one of the places helping to shape it.