Social and Economic Factors of Uli

 “Uli is appreciated by all, as it touches both the spiritual, artistic, and cultural life of the Igbo.” (Onwuakpa, Samuel Department of Fine Art, 347)

The origin of Uli is attributed to the praising of the ancient deity in Igboland, according to Obiora Udechukwu’s research. Thus, the ritual nature of the artwork, first on the body and then on wall surfaces, was closely tied to tributes paid in reverence for said deities. The evolution of the uli art form is not entirely known, yet the patterning of the facade of buildings eventually morphed to serve three primary purposes. They firstly refer to the spiritual– the symbolism of patterns made ancestral references as well as divine ones, which expressed the Igbo understanding of past, present, and future at work together. The second was to express hierarchy and status–whether cheiftancy or woman titles, these social scales might be depicted on a compound entrance. The final is the explicit depiction of festivities and current events. Each purpose stems from social implications which often intersect. Such “visual experiences” of uli art translate to the “urban experience” of Uli buildings, to utilize Freschi’s terms in defining the politics of ornament in post-apartheid South Africa.