Davida Enara

Davida is a Nigerian-born artist whose digital art captures the modern imagination and pushes for radical national change.

To see more of the artists’ work, please visit @Davida_enara on Instagram.

About:

Davida was born in Lagos, Nigeria and lived there until she moved to Singapore at age 14. She currently resides in New Jersey. Davida’s work is notable for the way it wrangles with Nigeria’s past and present. With her art, the artist consciously attempts to transform the nation and its people.

When asked about her artistic path, Davida replied ‘My journey with art has not been linear, but its centrality to my life has always been inevitable.’ She says she has been creating art for as long as she can remember. As a child she spent most of her free time creating art in a myriad of forms; producing comic books, constructing doll houses out of cardboard and fashioning toy cars out of discarded boxes. Davida says artistic expression has always come organically to her. Though her artistic path has not been linear, and though she has at time lost touch with art, she has always come back to it. Davida says ‘no matter how meandering the path is, us finding our way back to whatever it is we were created to do is inevitable and when we do, it is almost like no time has passed.’ 

Pen and Sword, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’ and Symbiosis, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’ 

Davida believes art is comforting, that it has an ability to calm her mind. She considers art of all forms – both visual and literary – as a trustworthy companion, an indispensable tool to distil the contents of her mind. Art allows her to express her thoughts vividly and succinctly, exactly as they appear in her head. 

Davida is interested in the role of the audience in her artistic production. She says that one of the reasons she has continued on her artistic journey because art is giving, because it allows observers to take whatever meaning they need. The interaction between artist and audience is key. For Davida, art is an extension of her consciousness and internal feelings. Upon viewing her work, she believes the audience feel heard, or perhaps simply feel nudged to think more critically or differently about a particular subject. The interaction her audience has with the art has encouraged her to continue.

In her early work, Davida primarily used paint. However, she has recently shifted to digital art because it allows her to more readily focus on the message. There’s no colour mixing, no mess, no clean-up, just pure art. Her process is fast-paced and digital art allows her to execute the idea whilst it is still fresh and vivid. 

Battle Blueprint, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’

Her work explores Nigeria’s history and culture. Davida has visited, worked and lived in many countries, and has witnessed and appreciated their strengths. Yet, her mind is always called back to her first home, and thoughts of what it could be. Davida recently created a painting highlighting Nsibidi, an ancient system of writing that originated in south-eastern Nigeria around 400 AD. Currently, she is working on a piece about the Ogbanje of Igbo Nigerian culture (also known as Abiku in Yoruba culture). Ogbanje are spirit children who are believed to be evil, constantly dying and re-entering their mothers’ wombs.

She says ‘Nigeria is a country with tremendous potential, but little to show for it. My decision to depict Nigerian history through my work … was birthed from an almost uncontrollable feeling of responsibility to salvage what is left of a country that I believe is worth fighting for.’

 Port Dues, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’and Meeting, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’

Though she has held a flurry of emotions about the state of Nigerian politics and current affairs for years, Davida says a deep sadness came to a head following the killing of Nigerian citizens at the peaceful ‘End SARS’ protests of 2019. She says she felt hopeless. She wanted to celebrate her country, to create art about its beauty and diversity, but that she felt this is not how progress could be achieved. Davida says that in order to grow, one must come to terms with the uncomfortable aspects, the flaws and bad habits that need remedying. One must come to terms with all that they are before one can aspire to be more. With this in mind, Davida decided to rummage through Nigeria’s uncomfortable history. She would hold up a looking glass to Nigeria’s face, to discover the root of the rot. Her art is the reflection of this looking glass. Davida hopes that by holding up a mirror to Nigeria, that by confronting the nation with its own reflection, she may contribute to the creation of a new national consciousness. She aims to facilitate a new society, one rooted in an acute sense of identity and knowledge of the past.

She describes herself as a hopeless romantic, as a patriot enchanted by a country that continues to disappoint its people. Since she was not taught extensive Nigerian history in her formal education, Davida says she is relishing the learning she is currently doing. She is enjoying untangling the intricacies of the culture, and sharing those very explorations with others.

Queen Amina of Zazzau , Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’ and Born to Die, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’

Davida’s interest in individual and national development extends into other aspects of her life as well. She interned in the Academic Impact Division at the United Nations and plans to acquire a Masters Degree in Education Policy. She hopes to improve the educational system in Nigeria and, by extension, contribute to the development of the nation as a whole.

Apart from Nigeria, Davida’s is often drawn towards subjects that have a poetic or narrative component to them. She considers Yuko Shimizu, a Japanese Illustrator, as a major source of inspiration. Yujo’s work has elements of the traditional Japanese Ukiyo-E art, but adds a contemporary twist. Davida admires how Yuko couples a celebration of her Japanese roots with a personal stylization. Davida says ‘I am thankful for art like Yuko’s, which reminds me that my experiences, interests, perspectives and the things that make me who I am are unique, worth sharing and have the potential to contribute something meaningful to the world.’ 

 Diabolical Damsels, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’ and Sitting Pretty, Digital Painting, 8.5 x 11’’