By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Flora Nkemakonam Ilonzo, the Founder of Centre for Psychic and Healing Administration (CPHA) added a new feather to hers yesterday at Oraeze arts exhibition held at Onitsha.
The arts exhibition is part of the ongoing 2023 Ofala festival of the ancient city of Onitsha, the commercial hub of Africa.
Ilonzo was the first female Artist in the old Eastern Nigeria, currently comprising Anambra, Abịa, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Cross Rivers, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Bayelsa and Akwa-Ibom States. Then, she was renowned and famed as Flora the Art.
Flora exhibition, a sculptor work of six figures tagged NIGERIA AND ITS PROBLEM, is depicting the true and current Nigeria woes. The Art work include a diviner with his spiritual working tools (which I termed the judiciary or the Supreme court), a tall woman representing Nigeria with a baby clad at her back (community), another woman figure representing States, one man seated with his two hands covered, and another man seated, reflecting and thinking over what the future beholds.
The work was actually done in 1976 when she was facing different battles of life as a pregnant woman. Hear her, "I did the work in 1976 to showcase attempts by many to divulge and settle Igbo problems but to no avail. The art work still present many facts and figures about Nigeria."
At her centre (CPHA), stood arts and crafts of different sizes and cultural history, including sculptural works, over a thousand African plants and vegetations with figures and healing virtues. You can equally see peacocks and other birds, horses, among others.
A distinguished botanist, God has used Flora to heal and save many from untimely deaths caused by viral and bacterial infections like cancer and others, using African herbs.
The Traditional Ruler of Onitsha, Obi Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, who cherished the work, prayed God to grant her longer life to impact more lives positively as she has been doing for years.