Jachimike Henry Nwasogwa is a London based Nigerian NFT artist. His most recent art series titled MTS, Mmonwu the Spirit, has been shortlisted on Autentica NFT Marketplace.

It has been an amazing journey working on MTS (Mmonwu the Spirit), a creative output for connecting back home, where I direct and coordinate the whole creative process. I'm amazed by how many people have responded positively to my work and it gives me hope in the future to see more progress and mind blowing ways to connect with people all around the globe.

The inspiration I obtained from my artist explorations inspired me to study a BA degree in Fine and Applied Arts at University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Art has exposed me to the various ways I can express myself, my thoughts, stories, feelings etc. through different mediums like digital photography, painting and cinematography to name a few. However, thanks to web3 and the initiation of this maiden NFT project MMONWU THE SPIRIT. Digital photography suited this collection (Omabe) which is a depiction of the Omabe in diverse personalities. I could capture the feelings I wanted in details. Through this medium I am able to experiment with art, fashion and tech to create these NFTs.

My work is inspired by my love for my cultural heritage. The Omabe Masquerade, which served as agents of social control, justice and entertainment in the pre-colonial times also enforced the law. Asides from participating in spiritual activities attached to festivals, they also served other enforcement purposes such as requests by husbands to bring back their wives who had run away from home. It was an abomination for a woman to abscond from the home of her spouse. They form an intricate part of settling land disputes because in their presence only the truth is said. Also, they were used to pass information that a person wouldn't muster the courage to say, that is, they say the difficult things such as truths. As law, no one had the right to hit an Omabe. It was a taboo to do so which came with many grave consequences like banishment. They served as agents of positive social control and their presence made even the bravest of men quiet. Westernization and Christianity reduced the relevance of the Omabe significantly and it is pertinent that we leverage technology and digitization to reintroduce an endangered and beautiful culture of the Igbo people of Nsukka.

I imagine what the mask photographs would look like, I make sketches to visualise the concept a bit more, then pass it on to my fashion designer who produces the mask using native Indigenous handmade materials. The masks are embellished with cowries and feathers which are symbolic to prestige in ancient Igbo culture. I then set up for a photoshoot to capture the masked character in different poses and moods.

One might wonder the importance or value in using web3 to promote my culture and the answer isn't far fetched from cultural preservation which is done in various forms all around the world. In the project roadmap, we will be producing these masks for fashion and costume utilization. We also hope to attach performing arts, music, gaming and film in order to create even better utility for these NFTs. Some of the original masks might be auctioned in the future as they are precious and symbolic. In this way, we give back to our community of holders and supporters.

There is no end to creativity hence, aspiring young creatives need to keep on on working, try their best to reflect and present their innermost imaginations through art especially now that web3 technology and the blockchain has created the opportunity for us to do so.