{"product_id":"mikael-owunna-greeting-cards","title":"Mikael Owunna Greeting Cards","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis series by Mikael Owunna began with an exploration of Indigenous African knowledge systems, and he set out to create a visual style that would uniquely capture their cosmic grandeur, dense symbolism, and presentation of Blackness as the divine, cosmic source from which everything emerges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor this work, Owunna leveraged his training as an engineer to build a camera flash that only transmits ultraviolet light, hand painted the bodies of nude Black models with fluorescent paints that only glow under ultraviolet light, and photographed them in total darkness. For the fraction of a second that the shutter snapped, a transfiguration happened: these bodies were illuminated as the starry universe itself, and scenes inspired by the archive of African diasporic myth sprang to life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e.: Material: 270gsm paper\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e.: Envelopes included\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e.: 4.25\" x 5.5'' (10.8 x 13.9 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e.: Sustainable paper from FSC® and SFI® certified facilities\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnagonno Alagala (anagonno of the Sky)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eThe Anagonno Alagala is the final transformation of the human body that takes place after death in Dogon cosmology. When a person dies, complex funerary rites are held to regroup the deceased’s spiritual forces. After the deceased has completed their final responsibilities on Earth, they transform into Anagonno Alagala, “anagonno of the sky,” where their role is to assist and direct the living from that point onward.\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMgbakwocha (Grand Lady of the Mysteries)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAt the beginning of the universe, all was one in the blackness of space. Eke-Nnechukwu, the feminine polarity of the Igbo Primordial Androgynous Deity, manifests Herself as Mgbakwocha. She is the Grand Lady of the Mysteries of creation, which She holds in the blackness of Her Divine Mystic Eye. She is associated with the planet Venus and is the birth source of life, which emerges from the blackness of Her womb.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eChukwu’s Grief\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFollowing the shattering of the primordial world in the Igbo Odachi Nne Ebere mythical account, the Igbo high god, Chukwu, finds the martyred body of His feminine double, Eke-Nnechukwu and brings Her back to life with His tears. Even after Eke-Nnechukwu rises from the dead, however, Chukwu never fully recovers from the traumatic shock of this event. Disenchanted and sensing the inevitable spiritual shortcomings from this new existential state of the universe, Chukwu retreats into His solitary chamber known as Ozi Obi and irrevocably locks its door of mercy (Uzo Ogo) behind Him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlawuala (The Land Which Is The Ultimate Earth) \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAlawuala is the Earth Goddess in Igbo cosmology, and her name translates literally as “the land which is the ultimate earth.” Birthing humanity and life from Her primal womb, She incarnates the spiritual principles of the primordial Igbo High God, Chukwu’s feminine double, Eke-Nnechukwu. With Her connection to the primordial feminine, Alawuala prescribes the universal laws of existence which transcend all life, Nso Ala (Laws of the Earth Goddess), and transmits them to humanity in the blackness of Her womb. Her layered waist beads speak to Her fecundity and control of fertility in all dimensions of life. Her sinuous pose prefigures her zoomorphic terrestrial form as Eke-Nwe-Ohia, the sacred Igbo python.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eKomosu (Body of the Goddess)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eFollowing the shattering of the primordial world in the Igbo Odachi Nne Ebere mythical account, the Igbo high god, Chukwu, finds the martyred body of His feminine double, Eke-Nnechukwu and brings Her back to life with His tears. As Eke-Nnechukwu rises from the dead, the cosmos and physical universe are born on Her body as She assumes the form of Komosu. Revived, Komosu takes up residence in Her own cosmic house known as Mkpuke, where She balances the entirety of the physical universe on Her body, Her name being a derivative of Koro-ma-ya-su, Komo-osu\/Aru Uso\/Ana Uso (body of the goddess).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmma Creates the World, Molding the Po\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAccording to the Igbo wisdom tradition, our Chi (or Highest Self) resides in the Primordial Androgynous Blackness of Be Chukwu, the Divine Realm of the Creator. Dreaming in perfect harmony with the Creator, our Chi's \"super-deep-sleep\" gives rise to temporal experience as we know it.  Our lives are these dreams, and when we die, our Chi awakes again in Be Chukwu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmma Emerges From Their Womb \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eIn Dogon myth, the universe emerges when Amma, the creator god, opens Their eyes. This act breaks the egg containing Amma’s womb, and in a spectacular moment of vibratory action, Amma emerges from Themself into utter blackness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eChukwu’s Dance (Entering His Chamber)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAt the beginning of time, Chukwu, the masculine polarity of the Igbo Primordial Androgynous Deity, suavely dances His way in and out of a secret pillared chamber, entering with His back and coming out with His back turned to all and sundry. Chukwu’s dancing in and out of the chamber piques the curiosity of His feminine counterpart Eke-Nnechukwu, which sets off a chain of irrevocable circumstances that lead to our current world and condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBe Chukwu (Divine Realm of the Creator)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eAccording to the Igbo wisdom tradition, our Chi (or Highest Self) resides in the Primordial Androgynous Blackness of Be Chukwu, the Divine Realm of the Creator. Dreaming in perfect harmony with the Creator, our Chi's \"super-deep-sleep\" gives rise to temporal experience as we know it.  Our lives are these dreams, and when we die, our Chi awakes again in Be Chukwu.\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Vision of Innekouzou\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003eInnekouzou Dolo was a celebrated West African Dogon diviner and Ammayana, “priestess of Amma.” Closing her eyes, she was adept at fusing the blackness of her inner imaginal worlds with the external blackness of outer space, making detailed observations of the Sirius constellation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Museum of the African Diaspora Store","offers":[{"title":"Anagonno Alagala (Anagonno of the Sky) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428741313,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Mgbakwocha (Grand Lady of the Mysteries) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428774081,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Chukwu’s Grief Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428806849,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Alawuala (The Land Which Is The Ultimate Earth) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428839617,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Komosu (Body of the Goddess) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428872385,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Amma Creates the World; Molding The Po Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428905153,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Amma Emerges From Their Womb Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428937921,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Chukwu’s Dance (Entering His Chamber) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155428970689,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Be Chukwu (Divine Realm of the Creator) Greeting Card","offer_id":50155429003457,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"The Vision of Innekouzou Greeting Card","offer_id":50155429036225,"sku":null,"price":7.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0243\/2201\/5312\/files\/aluwalaultimateearthcard.webp?v=1776968333","url":"https:\/\/store.moadsf.org\/products\/mikael-owunna-greeting-cards","provider":"Museum of the African Diaspora Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}