Residents of Cairo's Asmarat neighbourhood can now watch musical performances from their own balconies, thanks to this mobile theatre roaming Egypt's impoverished neighbourhoods to spread cultural awareness.

Mobile theatres on mission to spread art in every Egyptian neighbourhood

Priyanka Chopra Jonas isn’t the kind to let a minute of her life slip away, even when life is on lockdown.

While others were perfecting their sourdough starters last spring, Chopra Jonas decided to write her first book — and finished it. As quarantine fatigue curtailed our enthusiasm for crafting and Kondo-izing, she was in London shooting the romantic drama “Text for You” alongside Sam Heughan and Celine Dion.

By the time a lot of us had been rendered bloblike, Chopra Jonas was in overdrive, simultaneously promoting three projects: her Netflix movie, “The White Tiger,” adapted from Aravind Adiga’s Booker Prize-winning rags-to-riches novel about a self-made Bangalore businessman; her memoir, “Unfinished,” which chronicles her 38 years, including her reign as Miss World and breakthrough into Bollywood and eventually Hollywood; and her new sustainable hair care line, Anomaly.

As if that weren’t enough, she was prepping to shoot “Citadel,” a spy series directed by the Russo brothers for Amazon, which had been delayed a year because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Through it all, Chopra Jonas was still finding room for some self-care and shut-eye, “which has to be scheduled time, because otherwise I would never get sleep,” she said. In a phone call in late January from her home in London, Chopra Jonas tracked the recent routines and cultural items that are keeping her busy.

These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Wednesday morning

In our profession, my routine is dictated by the schedule that my team decides for me, predominantly. So the only thing routine-y about my schedule is I always make sure I have at least eight hours of sleep. My coffee machine is in my bedroom, right by my bed. The first thing I do is press the Nespresso button and smell the aroma of the coffee, and that’s how my eyes open.

Then I check out the news and scroll through Twitter usually still when I’m in bed. I need five or 10 minutes to orient myself to the fact that I’m waking up. On a languid day, maybe it would be half an hour. This ritual is ultimately what led me to “The White Tiger.” There was so much chatter around it in literary circles. I’m an avid reader. I try and pick up the books everyone’s talking about because I don’t really have the luxury of time to discover my own favourites.

My days start with a workout, usually on Zoom with my trainer. I started getting consistent with working out during quarantine. I hate working out otherwise. I’m not one of those people who’s like, “Oh my gosh, I enjoy it so much that I need it.” I listen to Hindi rap, like Raftaar and Divine, while I work out. It’s alive and visceral.

Wednesday afternoon

I watched the inauguration, and I think I felt exactly what the world was feeling. It was a very emotional time for a lot of my friends and family in America, and I felt very excited about the fact that the country is stepping into the right direction in terms of leadership. Not only should leadership look like this, but also sound like this. As someone coming from a country who has had many females in high positions of power, it’s awesome to see the U.S. finally get their first.

My days for the past two weeks have been back-to-back with recording my audiobook and promo, and [together] it takes 12 to 13 hours a day. I filmed three talk show interviews — Kelly Clarkson, Lilly Singh and Ellen — and I recorded a few podcasts and did several phone interviews. I think I was one of the earlier people to commit to the fact that we’re going to be working off Zoom for a really long time. So I found a corner of my room with a fireplace where I do all my Zoom calls.

Wednesday night

Before bed, I always need a few hours to unwind, and this is usually when I watch TV or read. Right now I’m reading “Amnesty,” Aravind Adiga’s next novel. I obviously am a fan. This is based in Australia, and it’s about a Sri Lankan immigrant, and it’s a thriller from his perspective. I do love to get out of work mode and just enjoy the content for what it is. But most of my reading I do with both [enjoyment and the idea of a project] in mind.

I haven’t been able to commit to a TV show because of how busy my schedule is. I recently finished “The Undoing,” “The Boys” and “Bridgerton” but I’m also really into movies after dinner. I’ve watched a lot of the Oscar contenders — “Sound of Metal,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “One Night in Miami.”

Thursday morning

Finally, I had some semblance of a morning I don’t even know how long. I woke up by 10, had a quick workout and then I had luxurious brunch with my mom, who is living in London with me. She was here with my husband during the holidays so that we could be together. I felt safer with her around me. My husband left-top of the year, but I didn’t let my mom go. So I’ve sort of kidnapped her right now.

Thursday afternoon

My first call wasn’t until 2 — a prep call with the producers of “Citadel,” which I am so excited to start. Prep calls are usually character development, which is one of my favourite things. The most exciting job as an actor is when you have the ability to take someone off the page and really breathe life into them.

Thursday night

Then it was back to promo. Unlike normal junkets where you’re local and live with the media, we have been up early and late to hit markets all over the world. Tonight we ended with “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” at 1 am.

I couldn’t sleep, because you know when you go beyond tired on the other side of the hill? That happened. Then I was on TikTok for hours. I’m a secret admirer, so I consume whatever they show me. It’s a lot of baby videos or doggy videos or kitten videos.

We got a quarantine pet, yes, we did! He’s Panda, and he’s a rescue. I got Nick a German shepherd for our anniversary last year, and my dog, Diana, who I’ve had for four years, she’s a rescue as well. So we had the two. But Nick’s parents were visiting and they brought their girls with them, and the house was full of four dogs, and it was so amazing that after Nick’s parents left, I was kind of feeling like, we need another dog. He’s a mix between an Australian shepherd and a husky. And he’s a punk. He deliberately defies you but he’s so adorable that you forget everything. He’s in LA with Nick at the moment, but they should be coming here sometime next month.

Friday morning

It was my last free weekday before I start “Citadel,” which I’ll be filming until next November. It was also release day of “The White Tiger.” Release day is filled with a roller coaster of emotions, but always with bright eyes and hope for a strong opening. I’m so proud to share this film with the world.

Friday afternoon

I did “Hot Ones.” Oh my God. I’ve done it before on Jimmy Fallon, and it almost killed me. But this time — and I love spicy food. I need hot sauce. I carry it everywhere — but some of the hot sauces are like poison. They’re insane how spicy they are. I literally felt like I was going to faint. I had to open the doors up and walk outside and eat ice cream and milk, and I was crying. Ghost pepper was at No. 4. So you could imagine what No. 10 was.

Friday night

I did a viewing party for “The White Tiger” with a lot of my family and friends all on Zoom. It is such a provocative tale of something that all of us have become so desensitized to, which is this large division between the haves and the have-nots. And COVID specifically showed the world that disparity so glaringly. When is the last time you’ve driven past a homeless shelter or a homeless person and not done anything about it? A majority of the world lives in circumstances like that, so it’s really a sort of mirror into self-reflection. I’m very proud of the movie because it has social commentary, but at the same time it’s sarcastic, funny, dark and really clever.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas isn’t the kind to let a minute of her life slip away, even when life is on lockdown. While others were perfecting their sourdough starters last spring, Chopra Jonas decided to write her first book — and finished it.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas isn’t the kind to let a minute of her life slip away, even when life is on lockdown. While others were perfecting their sourdough starters last spring, Chopra Jonas decided to write her first book — and finished it. As quarantine fatigue curtailed our enthusiasm for crafting and Kondo-izing, she was in London shooting the romantic drama “Text for You” alongside Sam Heughan and Celine Dion. By the time a lot of us had been rendered bloblike, Chopra Jonas was in overdrive, simultaneously promoting three projects: her Netflix movie, “The White Tiger,” adapted from Aravind Adiga’s Booker Prize-winning rags-to-riches novel about a self-made Bangalore businessman; her memoir, “Unfinished,” which chronicles her 38 years, including her reign as Miss World and breakthrough into Bollywood and eventually Hollywood; and her new sustainable hair care line, Anomaly. As if that weren’t enough, she was prepping to shoot “Citadel,” a spy series directed by the Russo brothers for Amazon, which had been delayed a year because of COVID-19 restrictions. Through it all, Chopra Jonas was still finding room for some self-care and shut-eye, “which has to be scheduled time, because otherwise I would never get sleep,” she said. In a phone call in late January from her home in London, Chopra Jonas tracked the recent routines and cultural items that are keeping her busy. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. Wednesday morning In our profession, my routine is dictated by the schedule that my team decides for me, predominantly. So the only thing routine-y about my schedule is I always make sure I have at least eight hours of sleep. My coffee machine is in my bedroom, right by my bed. The first thing I do is press the Nespresso button and smell the aroma of the coffee, and that’s how my eyes open. Then I check out the news and scroll through Twitter usually still when I’m in bed. I need five or 10 minutes to orient myself to the fact that I’m waking up. On a languid day, maybe it would be half an hour. This ritual is ultimately what led me to “The White Tiger.” There was so much chatter around it in literary circles. I’m an avid reader. I try and pick up the books everyone’s talking about because I don’t really have the luxury of time to discover my own favourites. My days start with a workout, usually on Zoom with my trainer. I started getting consistent with working out during quarantine. I hate working out otherwise. I’m not one of those people who’s like, “Oh my gosh, I enjoy it so much that I need it.” I listen to Hindi rap, like Raftaar and Divine, while I work out. It’s alive and visceral. Wednesday afternoon I watched the inauguration, and I think I felt exactly what the world was feeling. It was a very emotional time for a lot of my friends and family in America, and I felt very excited about the fact that the country is stepping into the right direction in terms of leadership. Not only should leadership look like this, but also sound like this. As someone coming from a country who has had many females in high positions of power, it’s awesome to see the U.S. finally get their first. My days for the past two weeks have been back-to-back with recording my audiobook and promo, and [together] it takes 12 to 13 hours a day. I filmed three talk show interviews — Kelly Clarkson, Lilly Singh and Ellen — and I recorded a few podcasts and did several phone interviews. I think I was one of the earlier people to commit to the fact that we’re going to be working off Zoom for a really long time. So I found a corner of my room with a fireplace where I do all my Zoom calls. Wednesday night Before bed, I always need a few hours to unwind, and this is usually when I watch TV or read. Right now I’m reading “Amnesty,” Aravind Adiga’s next novel. I obviously am a fan. This is based in Australia, and it’s about a Sri Lankan immigrant, and it’s a thriller from his perspective. I do love to get out of work mode and just enjoy the content for what it is. But most of my reading I do with both [enjoyment and the idea of a project] in mind. I haven’t been able to commit to a TV show because of how busy my schedule is. I recently finished “The Undoing,” “The Boys” and “Bridgerton” but I’m also really into movies after dinner. I’ve watched a lot of the Oscar contenders — “Sound of Metal,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “One Night in Miami.” Thursday morning Finally, I had some semblance of a morning I don’t even know how long. I woke up by 10, had a quick workout and then I had luxurious brunch with my mom, who is living in London with me. She was here with my husband during the holidays so that we could be together. I felt safer with her around me. My husband left-top of the year, but I didn’t let my mom go. So I’ve sort of kidnapped her right now. Thursday afternoon My first call wasn’t until 2 — a prep call with the producers of “Citadel,” which I am so excited to start. Prep calls are usually character development, which is one of my favourite things. The most exciting job as an actor is when you have the ability to take someone off the page and really breathe life into them. Thursday night Then it was back to promo. Unlike normal junkets where you’re local and live with the media, we have been up early and late to hit markets all over the world. Tonight we ended with “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” at 1 am. I couldn’t sleep, because you know when you go beyond tired on the other side of the hill? That happened. Then I was on TikTok for hours. I’m a secret admirer, so I consume whatever they show me. It’s a lot of baby videos or doggy videos or kitten videos. We got a quarantine pet, yes, we did! He’s Panda, and he’s a rescue. I got Nick a German shepherd for our anniversary last year, and my dog, Diana, who I’ve had for four years, she’s a rescue as well. So we had the two. But Nick’s parents were visiting and they brought their girls with them, and the house was full of four dogs, and it was so amazing that after Nick’s parents left, I was kind of feeling like, we need another dog. He’s a mix between an Australian shepherd and a husky. And he’s a punk. He deliberately defies you but he’s so adorable that you forget everything. He’s in LA with Nick at the moment, but they should be coming here sometime next month. Friday morning It was my last free weekday before I start “Citadel,” which I’ll be filming until next November. It was also release day of “The White Tiger.” Release day is filled with a roller coaster of emotions, but always with bright eyes and hope for a strong opening. I’m so proud to share this film with the world. Friday afternoon I did “Hot Ones.” Oh my God. I’ve done it before on Jimmy Fallon, and it almost killed me. But this time — and I love spicy food. I need hot sauce. I carry it everywhere — but some of the hot sauces are like poison. They’re insane how spicy they are. I literally felt like I was going to faint. I had to open the doors up and walk outside and eat ice cream and milk, and I was crying. Ghost pepper was at No. 4. So you could imagine what No. 10 was. Friday night I did a viewing party for “The White Tiger” with a lot of my family and friends all on Zoom. It is such a provocative tale of something that all of us have become so desensitized to, which is this large division between the haves and the have-nots. And COVID specifically showed the world that disparity so glaringly. When is the last time you’ve driven past a homeless shelter or a homeless person and not done anything about it? A majority of the world lives in circumstances like that, so it’s really a sort of mirror into self-reflection. I’m very proud of the movie because it has social commentary, but at the same time it’s sarcastic, funny, dark and really clever.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s Week: Fireside Zoom calls and 'Bridgerton' episodes

The sounds of classical music echoed around an almost empty Colosseum on Monday (February 1) as a concert took place that organisers wished would be a sign of hope for a new beginning.

Classical concert a 'sign of hope' as Colosseum reopens

Christie`s will present 20th Century Modern Masters from a Private French Collection in the 20th Century Art Evening Sale and The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, to be held on 23 March.

The collection is comprised of eight works by Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Jean Fautrier, Fernand Leger and Joan Miro.

This exceptional group offers an insightful view into the crucial dialogues that connected avant-garde artists working in Europe and America throughout the 20th Century, highlighting the friendships, artistic innovations and the exchange of ideas that shaped the century, both before and after the Second World War. 
 
Dating from 1913, Leger`s Deux femmes couchees illustrates his bold, graphic style of cubism (estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000), which resonates with the formal structures of Dubuffet`s post-war Paris `Circus` and `Hourloupe` styles, both hybridised in Paysage du Pas-de-Calais III (1963, estimate: £2,500,000-3,500,000). Radical mixed-media impasto is employed to very different ends in Dubuffet`s Le Vase de Barbe (1959, estimate: £2,000,000-3,000,000), Max Ernst`s Aux 100,000 colombes (1925, estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000) and Fautrier`s Pièges (1946, estimate: £1,000,000-1,500,000). Finally, close links can be seen between Calder`s Submarine Christmas Tree (1947, estimate: £4,000,000-6,000,000) and the intuitive, whimsical visual language of surrealists such as Miro. 
 
Anika Guntrum, International Director, 20th - 21st Century, Christie`s: "20th Century Modern Masters from a Private French Collection reflects the pioneering spirit of the collection with works that, seen together, create a carefully constructed dialogue between movements, artists and continents. This spirit is echoed in the eight paintings presented as a major highlight of Christie`s 20th Century season in London. The scope of the collection provides insight into those artists - Calder, Dubuffet, Ernst, Fautrier, Leger and Miro - whose vision and innovation defined the 20th century and whose legacy and influence is seen in the artists practising today. We are thrilled to offer these works in the Spring season of 20th Century art." 
 
Keith Gill and Tessa Lord, Co-Heads of Sale, 20th Century Art Evening Sale, Christie`s: "Together with three major works from an important Swiss Surrealist collection, we are thrilled to present another exquisite collection, from France on this occasion, to the London market in 2021. We are confident that this opening season will see international collectors centre around this significant moment in the art world calendar. We look forward to engaging established and new audiences alike in our live-streamed auctions and events, providing opportunities to explore artworks that defined the trajectory of artistic practise throughout the 20th century."

Christie`s will present 20th Century Modern Masters from a Private French Collection in the 20th Century Art Evening Sale and The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, to be held on 23 March.

Christie`s will present 20th Century Modern Masters from a Private French Collection in the 20th Century Art Evening Sale and The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, to be held on 23 March. The collection is comprised of eight works by Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Jean Fautrier, Fernand Leger and Joan Miro. This exceptional group offers an insightful view into the crucial dialogues that connected avant-garde artists working in Europe and America throughout the 20th Century, highlighting the friendships, artistic innovations and the exchange of ideas that shaped the century, both before and after the Second World War. Dating from 1913, Leger`s Deux femmes couchees illustrates his bold, graphic style of cubism (estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000), which resonates with the formal structures of Dubuffet`s post-war Paris `Circus` and `Hourloupe` styles, both hybridised in Paysage du Pas-de-Calais III (1963, estimate: £2,500,000-3,500,000). Radical mixed-media impasto is employed to very different ends in Dubuffet`s Le Vase de Barbe (1959, estimate: £2,000,000-3,000,000), Max Ernst`s Aux 100,000 colombes (1925, estimate: £1,200,000-1,800,000) and Fautrier`s Pièges (1946, estimate: £1,000,000-1,500,000). Finally, close links can be seen between Calder`s Submarine Christmas Tree (1947, estimate: £4,000,000-6,000,000) and the intuitive, whimsical visual language of surrealists such as Miro. Anika Guntrum, International Director, 20th - 21st Century, Christie`s: "20th Century Modern Masters from a Private French Collection reflects the pioneering spirit of the collection with works that, seen together, create a carefully constructed dialogue between movements, artists and continents. This spirit is echoed in the eight paintings presented as a major highlight of Christie`s 20th Century season in London. The scope of the collection provides insight into those artists - Calder, Dubuffet, Ernst, Fautrier, Leger and Miro - whose vision and innovation defined the 20th century and whose legacy and influence is seen in the artists practising today. We are thrilled to offer these works in the Spring season of 20th Century art." Keith Gill and Tessa Lord, Co-Heads of Sale, 20th Century Art Evening Sale, Christie`s: "Together with three major works from an important Swiss Surrealist collection, we are thrilled to present another exquisite collection, from France on this occasion, to the London market in 2021. We are confident that this opening season will see international collectors centre around this significant moment in the art world calendar. We look forward to engaging established and new audiences alike in our live-streamed auctions and events, providing opportunities to explore artworks that defined the trajectory of artistic practise throughout the 20th century."

Christie's to present 20th Centuary Modern Masters from French collection

A rare Botticelli portrait sold for $92.2 million at auction at Sotheby's in New York on Thursday (January 28), a world record for any work by the Italian artist.

Rare Botticelli portrait sells for record $92.2 million at NY auction

An artist in Syria is using his architecture background to add a modern twist to his most favourite art: Arabic calligraphy.

Syrian artist gives new depths to paintings with calligraphy

Kim Jones, the man at the helm of Dior, collaborated with artist Peter Doig on the latest collection from the French fashion house.

Designer Kim Jones presents Winter 2021 collection for French fashion house Dior

Belgian rising design star Tom Van Der Borght opened the Berlin Fashion Week on Sunday (January 18) with 18 flamboyant looks showing futuristic and very colourful designs.

Belgian rising design star opens Berlin Fashion Week amid strict restrictions

Italian police on Saturday (January 16) recovered a priceless painting of the Leonardo da Vinci school which had been stolen from the Basilica of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples.

Italy police recover stolen Leonardo-school painting; museum unaware of theft

A one-of-a-kind original Tintin artwork is expected to sell for more than 2 million euros at a Paris auction on Thursday (January 14).

Tintin painting could fetch up to 2.8 million euros at Paris auction

It's a nativity scene like no other, bringing the magic of Christmas to the famous lagoon city, with its stunning silhouette as a backdrop. Baby Jesus can be seen emerging from the waters, surrounded by a floating Joseph and Mary under the sunrise near the island of Burano, in the northern lagoon of Venice. The artwork, created by Francesco Orazio, a greengrocer with an artistic bent, was completed on Tuesday (December 15) in an open stretch of water, without hindering navigation.

Floating nativity scene brings Christmas to Venice lagoon 

An Egyptian artefact, missing for decades, was found this month in a cigar box at the Scottish University of Aberdeen by an Egyptian staff member.

Artefact found in Scotland cigar box could unveil mysteries of Great Pyramid 

The curtain will fall on London's theatres again on Wednesday (December 16) as the British capital moves into the toughest level of coronavirus restrictions, with some forced to close Christmas shows just days after they opened in a hammer blow for the industry.

Curtain falls on London's theatres again due to Covid-19

For the first time in music history, 197 musicians - one from each country - have formed an orchestra, hoping to exemplify how people can transcend physical and cultural borders to come together.

Musicians from every country form Earth Orchestra to record unique song

It's hoped a new exhibition at the Queen's Gallery in London will help restore the finances of The Royal Collection Trust, after venues around the UK had to close to the general public for several months this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Old Master paintings on display at The Queen's Gallery

In this video, watch the story of sexual assault survivors who have turned therapy through art to help other women suvivor recovering from past trauma.

Survivors of sexual violence rebuilding their lives

Despite challenging COVID-19 times, Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum will launch on Friday (November 20) Russian abstract painter Vasily Kandinsky's exhibition to a reduced public. The Kandinsky exhibition was set to be the museum's biggest crowd puller of 2020, but with restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, will be much "quieter" than planned.

Guggenheim Museum to open Kandinsky exhibition despite COVID challenges

An art installation with 111 mannequins set up in Munich's central Marienplatz square called for more "mindfulness and appreciation" in people during the coronavirus crisis, its creator said on Wednesday (November 18).

Munich art installation with 111 mannequins calls for more "mindfulness"

With the corona pandemic raging and many museums and galleries closed, the international art scene has had to go virtual to attract visitors.

Art scene goes virtual due to corona pandemic

A new K-pop girl band "aespa" made its debut on Tuesday (November 17) in a music video for its first single, "Black Mamba", released by its agency SM Entertainment.

"Future of entertainment": New K-Pop girl band "aespa" makes debut with their virtual avatars

A silk shoe that once belonged to Marie Antoinette, the last Queen of France who was guillotined as part of the French Revolution, will be auctioned in Versailles this weekend with an estimated starting price of 10,000 euros ($11,832).

Marie Antoinette's silk shoe goes up for sale in Versailles

Investing in art is something beyond what many people can afford. But anyone can now own a small share of a masterpiece, the question is how? WION tells you in this report.

New York: Anyone can now own a small share of a masterpiece

Out of New South Wales' quiet country, a larger-than-life mural painted on grain silos has brought an artistic flourish to the once barren landscape.

Australian artist paints larger-than-life silo mural

James Corden may not be allowed in a theater these days but there's still a way to laugh with him onstage. The Tony-winning artist is having a career milestone revisited on TVs and mobile devices as part of PBS' fourth annual "Broadway's Best" lineup for November as his deliriously funny play "One Man, Two Guvnors" is shown to home audiences.

James Corden returns to happier theatrical days

French land artist Saype showed his latest frescoes of giant spray-painted "human chain" in Istanbul on Monday (October 26) as part of an art project composed of interlocked hands across the world in a bid to promote humanity and equality.

Mesmerizing drone footage shows gigantic hands floating in Istanbul's Golden Horn

The accessory of 2020 - the face mask - was combined with 1920s themed fineries by guests forming a socially distanced queue for the relaunch of the London show "The Great Gatsby" on Thursday (October 22) evening.

'The Great Gatsby' back on stage in London

The Royal Opera House sold a painting by British artist David Hockney for 12.8 million pounds at an auction in London on Thursday (October 22) amid efforts to survive the coronavirus crisis.

Royal Opera House sells Hockney for £12.8 million amid crisis

Sitting in his caravan in downtown Sofia, Alexander Balkanski, a former acrobat and trapeze artist and the founder of Bulgaria's largest circus, swings between hope and despair as he counts the emotional and financial costs of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On a tightrope: Bulgarian circus defies odds during coronavirus pandemic

Marcellina Akpojotor weaves past thumping sewing machines, and leaves a Lagos shop with a bag brimming with discarded fabric. The colourful pieces, which would typically be burned or thrown into the Nigerian city’s lagoon as waste, find a second life in the hands of the artist.

Akpojotor, 31, creates portraits using discarded pieces of ankara, a brightly coloured African fabric that is ubiquitous from the slums of Lagos to high-powered meetings in the capital, Abuja. She says the meaning of the cloth helped fuel her work.

“I was so inspired by those materials,” she said. “In this part of the world we use them to celebrate all kinds of festivity: burial, naming ceremony, wedding”.

Nigeria’s economy runs on oil, which pumps in billions of dollars, but its fashion, art and film are ascending, feeding national pride.

Ankara, inspired by Indonesian batik, was originally manufactured in the Netherlands, but became wildly popular in West Africa in the 1800s. Global fashion houses have used it for nearly a decade, and prices for African artwork have risen by 70% to 100% over the past 10 years, according to London auction house Bonhams.

<img alt="Nigerian art" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="56346d55-09a8-4dff-a09f-7ca076d0a17d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Nigerian%20art1.jpg" />

Akpojotor’s work combines art and fashion on canvas, complimented with acrylic paint. A sketch of a woman’s profile comes to life as she carefully adds tiny slivers of fabric to colour her skin, lips and clothing. Another canvas features a child playing, her form in bright swatches, casting a shadow.

“There’s a common ground between you and the work because it is fabric, it is something that you know,” she said.

She has sold pieces for as much as $25,000. Kehinde Afolabi, associate director of Lagos’s Rele Gallery, found Akpojotor on social media and first featured her pieces in 2017.

“You can’t find anybody doing similar art,” Afolbai said. “It is mind blowing, how somebody can take waste and create something out of it.”

Marcellina Akpojotor weaves past thumping sewing machines, and leaves a Lagos shop with a bag brimming with discarded fabric. The colourful pieces, which would typically be burned or thrown into the Nigerian city’s lagoon as waste, find a second life in the hands of the artist.

Marcellina Akpojotor weaves past thumping sewing machines, and leaves a Lagos shop with a bag brimming with discarded fabric. The colourful pieces, which would typically be burned or thrown into the Nigerian city’s lagoon as waste, find a second life in the hands of the artist. Akpojotor, 31, creates portraits using discarded pieces of ankara, a brightly coloured African fabric that is ubiquitous from the slums of Lagos to high-powered meetings in the capital, Abuja. She says the meaning of the cloth helped fuel her work. “I was so inspired by those materials,” she said. “In this part of the world we use them to celebrate all kinds of festivity: burial, naming ceremony, wedding”. Nigeria’s economy runs on oil, which pumps in billions of dollars, but its fashion, art and film are ascending, feeding national pride. Ankara, inspired by Indonesian batik, was originally manufactured in the Netherlands, but became wildly popular in West Africa in the 1800s. Global fashion houses have used it for nearly a decade, and prices for African artwork have risen by 70% to 100% over the past 10 years, according to London auction house Bonhams. Akpojotor’s work combines art and fashion on canvas, complimented with acrylic paint. A sketch of a woman’s profile comes to life as she carefully adds tiny slivers of fabric to colour her skin, lips and clothing. Another canvas features a child playing, her form in bright swatches, casting a shadow. “There’s a common ground between you and the work because it is fabric, it is something that you know,” she said. She has sold pieces for as much as $25,000. Kehinde Afolabi, associate director of Lagos’s Rele Gallery, found Akpojotor on social media and first featured her pieces in 2017. “You can’t find anybody doing similar art,” Afolbai said. “It is mind blowing, how somebody can take waste and create something out of it.”

Cut from the same cloth, Nigerian waste fabric becomes art

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