Through the fusion of photography and mixed media, Mariagoretti Chinenye Eze presents a provocative commentary on contemporary society, inviting viewers to reflect on their own place within the digital landscape. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports
"Crossing the Boundaries"... To the viewer, this title already echoes like a warning. The mixed-media photograph confronts him with an unsettling scenario: a man, who is supposed to be concentrating while driving, ensnared, his gaze shackled to his hand-held mobile phone's tiny screen's hypnotic glow. Bespectacled, his baseball cap pulled low, he sits behind the wheel, a prisoner of his own desires.
A beam of light slices through the composition, a razor's edge separating reality from the virtual world. The photographer's commentary is stark, unflinching: addiction, distraction, and the devastating costs of a life lived in the shadows of the screen. As the driver's focus drifts into cyberspace and the world outside recedes, the potential consequences are ticking on like a clockwork bomb.
This captivating photograph by Mariagoretti Chinenye Eze, which, like others, is adorned with embroidery, exposes the dangers of distraction. The phone's glow in her photographs--"Photo,Freaks," "Walk, Thought, and Work," and "The Focus"--is an irresistible force, a moth's flame promising connection and community.
Talking about "The Focus," it is a visual indictment, a stark portrayal of the present-day enslavement to the digital realm. The embroidered threads--yellow, red, and pink--sliced through the composition like a surgeon's scalpel lay bare the psyche of the device-entranced. Pink hues allude to the secrets of childhood memories, fond and forgotten, now resurrected by the glow of the screen.
Yet warmth and joy ooze from the yellow tones, a gradient of happiness that belies the danger lurking beneath. The red strokes, like warning flares, pierce the composition, cautioning against the abyss of obsession. Eze's offering is a mirror, reflecting society's own complicity in this Faustian bargain.
Her photographs typically feature deliberate motifs like moringa seeds and threads, which are added after printing to provide layered meanings. She thus pushes the frontiers of expression by merging photographic prints with various materials, demonstrating that a single medium is not always sufficient.
With the discerning eye of a raconteuse, Eze wields her camera, transcending mere chronology to unfurl life's vivid stories. Her artistic credo, elegantly straightforward, is "to frame compelling images that speak volumes."
"Every other day," the Enugu State native confides, "I set out with consciousness to record activities, images, and actions that will enrich my memory bank. The images are key to my artist expression."
A canvas of contrasts, with photography splashing bold colours across her routine, best describes her life's story. And it all began with a Kodak camera, a 2010 gift, which she lets on, that ignited a fire in her. Sooner than later, she was snapping everything in sight--people, places, things--with an untrained eye that somehow caught the essence.
Recalling when photography became more than a mere hobby to her, she says she was already at the Institute of Management and Technology (more often known by its abbreviation, IMT), Enugu. Indeed, it turned out to be a discipline, an endeavour that demanded precision and patience. Sooner than later, she was devouring tips from Digital Photography School and PictureCorrect while she honed her skills with each click. Then, contests beckoned, which saw her entries making waves.
Way back, as a curious child, Eze's fascination swirled around drawing--a potent mix of lines, shapes, and colours. Walls, sandy grounds, and book pages were her canvases, fuelling her restless creativity. By secondary school's end, her path was clear: she was an artist, driven by an award as Best Student in Fine Arts and unyielding passion.
"I learnt my basic art skills in school," she remembers. "Online photography newsletters became my next resource. I devoured each issue, experimenting with new techniques in my free time."
Influential photographers captivated her, and she found herself studying their styles intently. At IMT Enugu, her undergraduate years honed her skills. Though she was constantly churning out artwork from class assignments, her doubts about her abilities lingered. The mere thought of art exhibitions sent her heart racing. But three lecturers--Dr. Okay Ikenegbu, Dr. Ayo Adewunmi, and Mr. Emeka Egwuibe--saw past her fears, urging her to put in her works for exhibitions. Their words sparked courage.
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With this newfound resolve, Eze took the leap, submitting to an exhibition. Then, the unthinkable happened: her piece sold. The first earnings from her art brought pure, unadulterated joy.
Since then, her career has flourished. Group exhibitions have become a hallmark of her résumé, showcasing her unwavering dedication. Notable triumphs include winning the 11th Spanish Visual Art Competition in 2016 and the Life in My City Art Festival in 2012, cementing her place in the art scene.
Meanwhile, Audrey Hepburn's phrase "I'm Possible," a pun alluding to the fact that nothing is impossible, guides Eze's artistic vision. Embracing photography's limitless possibilities, she innovates and reimagines, transforming ideas into captivating visual stories.
