A Visit To A Master Craftsman!

Hello folks, happy weekend! I hope you're having a great time. No matter what happens, keep hope alive!

So yesterday, I visited an old friend at his workshop. It's been months since we last met, and I was eager to catch up and see how he's doing. He's a woodworker and craftsman - the founder of Hammerhead Integrated Ltd (Hammerhead Ethnika), and is well known for his unique designs and intricate carvings on chairs, tables, and other furniture pieces.

I've known him for a couple of years now, and I must say his ingenuity and passion for woodworking are truly inspiring. For him, every piece of wood is a unique design waiting to be unlocked.

Not only does he craft masterpieces from wood, but he's also a master of poetry. He crafts a name, a poem or a story for each piece of design he creates.

On one of the days I visited, I saw a wooden stool he made, and I was amazed. The design looked just like a hibiscus flower, and it was painted purple. This is definitely the "Purple Hibiscus", I said excitedly. He looked at me, surprise written on his face. Knowing that I've caught him, I continued, "it's obvious, look at the design, color, everything!"

He finally smiled and said I was spot on, and that the name is indeed "Purple Hibiscus", inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book of the same name.

Here are some of his latest designs, which I captured, and I'm excited to share them with you. 😂

I'd love you to check out this interview:Heart-song To The Iroko: Tackling The Designs Of Tony Akudinobi By Uzor Maxim Uzoatu for a peek into the journey of his craft.

You can also check him out on Facebook Tony G C Akudinobi

Tony's craft has taken him around major cities in and outside the shores of this country for exhibitions, trade fairs and art festivals. One of such is the "First Intra-African Trade Fair" in Cairo, Egypt (2018), where he represented Nigeria with his exhibition "The Phoenix and The Sphinx", sponsored by the Nigerian Export Promotions Council.
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Another one is at Eko Hotel & Suites, where he presented an avant-garde chair to Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka at an event titled "An Evening with Wole Soyinka and Nigeria's Outstanding Literary Writers".

Watch Context Determines Design, an 11-minute talk by Tony Akudinobi at TED Talent Search Lagos, 2017.