Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Pakistani army: 6 soldiers and 7 militants killed in clash near the Afghan border
Israeli media: Sirens sound in the settlement of Kerem Shalom in the Gaza envelope area
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: We still believe in dialogue and prioritize diplomatic solutions with Pakistan; though we are ready for all possibilities.
Afghan source to Al Mayadeen: Pakistan purposely obstructed negotiations in Turkey by making unrealistic demands.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: More than 70 martyrs in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn.
Death toll from latest Israeli strikes on Gaza rises to 30
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Five killed in the Israeli bombing of a civilian vehicle on Al-Qassam Street in Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip
Hamas confirms that it has no connection to the shooting incident in Rafah and affirms its commitment to the ceasefire agreement
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two civilians were killed and four others, including a child and an infant, were injured in an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Al-Banna family in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli airstrike targets the vicinity of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City

Missing Chibok girls sculpted in clay in Nigeria art project

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 11 Dec 2022 22:53
3 Min Read

A French artist and a group of potters sculpt the faces of 108 Nigerian girls who have been kidnapped in 2014 and exhibited them in a hotel in Lagos.

  • x
  • Missing Chibok girls sculpted in clay
    Missing Chibok girls sculpted in clay

The faces of 108 Nigerian girls who remain missing, eight years after having been abducted by Islamist insurgents, were sculpted in clay under the title Statues Also Breathe by an artist, a group of potters, and university students and exhibited at Eko Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria.

The aim of the exhibition is to raise awareness about the plight of the adopted Chibok girls who have been in captivity by Boko Haram militants since 2014, and to highlight the global struggle for girls’ education.

The militants kidnapped around 270 teenage girls in 2014 from a school in the northeastern town of Chibok. Ever since, about 160 of the girls have been released, some years after captivity,

The kidnapping initially prompted worldwide outrage; however, the story has recently faded from the headlines.

The sculptures which represent the missing girls were achieved in collaboration with the families of the kidnapped Chibok girls, a French visual artist, Prune Nourry, and the Department of Fine and Applied Arts of the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.

Related News

Nobel Laureate Soyinka says US visa revoked after criticizing Trump

US arms sale to Nigeria raises human rights concerns: RS

Viewers of the displayed heads felt nostalgic, as a delegation of mothers of the missing Chibok girls and other girls who were able to escape Boko Haram captivity were also attending to honor and remember their loved ones depicted in the sculptures.

After collecting photos of the missing girls from their families, they were given to 108 students, one for each, and they created the sculptures at a workshop in the southwestern city Ife.

Nourry was inspired by the ancient Ife terracotta heads, and she created portraits of the high school girls imaged in the style of iconic ancestral Ife artistry. She said the sculptures will be taken on a global tour.

Dr Michael Olusegun Fatuigbe, a lecturer in Obafemi Awolowo University who was part of the project from the beginning, said the most interesting part for him was the blend of culture.

“You can see the works are produced in the ancient style. We used Ife arts tradition to project another culture, which is that of the kanuri people and to let us understand that irrespective of our culture, arts, dressing or opinion, we are all faced with the same issues of security and social issues,” he said.

"Because they are in captivity, they are like statues, but they are still alive, still breathing and what are we doing about it? We must not forget these people in captivity.” 

  • Nigeria
  • School kidnapping in Nigeria
  • Nigeria kidnapping
  • Boko Haram

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025
Hi-tech holocaust: Microsoft’s role in Gaza genocide

Microsoft's role in world’s first AI-driven genocide, in Gaza, exposed

  • Technology
  • 28 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Displaced Sudanese who fled El-Fasher after the city fell to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), rest near the town of Tawila in war-torn Sudan's western Darfur region (AP)
Politics

UAE directly funded RSF, leading to fall of El-Fasher: Sudan

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests
Politics

'You’re not welcome in Greece': Israelis face port protests

This photo released by the Israeli military on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, shows ground operations inside the Gaza Strip (AP)
Politics

IOF soldier who fought in Gaza, Lebanon denied entry to Czech Republic

UN inquiry exposes 'Israel’s' four genocidal crimes against Gaza
Politics

'Israel' committed four genocidal acts in Gaza, UN inquiry finds

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS