Echoes of the Nile Opens at Southside Contemporary
Written by Eric Jackson
RICHMOND, VA - This past Friday, the opening exhibition of Echoes of the Nile transported gallery viewers through a portal — one that pulsed with existentialism, spiritual restoration, and the search for origins. Echoes of the Nile began as a project to illustrate a set of oracle cards. Over five years, Nigerian-born and Virginia-based visual artist, Data Oruwari, transformed that commission into something far more personal and cosmic: visual technologies of remembrance. Each piece was born from her spiritual pilgrimage. Not only providing a bridge to the past but harnessing the visual language connecting Black people back to the traditions that had been lost. Curated by Seju Alero Mike, the exhibition expands that personal vision into a collective invitation — a call to reflect, remember, and return.
“The job of the artist is to help distill complex wisdom into a format the average person to understand.”
Oruwari’s collection is rooted in the 42 Sacred Laws of Ma’at, ancient Egyptian law that drove ancient civilizations to seek reciprocity, harmony, balance and truth.
The gallery featured forty-two mid-sized canvases, and a few large format pieces, each representing a law or divine echo. Black ink line work intersects with deep black void that carry a sense of mystery, with bold representations of ancient artifacts and people that are means of transportation to another dimension. The black & gold color scheme represented something. It signals sophistication, confidence and strength found in those ancient tribes. Each piece is a vessel. A bridge to the past. A call to the future. Each piece holds an inherent energy that repairs the viewer — returning to essence, helping to remember & connect.
Echoes of the Nile will be on exhibit through the end of August at Southside Contemporary Art Gallery. All art is for sale. Admission is FREE.
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