"The Force Within” by Ianumeh

​Livestream from Balogun Market, Lagos Nigeria

​What can a human being activate from what already exists within them?

​In The Force Within, Ianumeh will carry a large cooking pot containing burning firewood on his head, balancing its weight through controlled movement and endurance.

​As he gathers, arranges, ignites, and sustains the fire, material and intention become visible action. Smoke extends this transformation beyond his body and into the surrounding space. His body becomes both the source and instrument of action, exploring the human capacity to transform potential into tangible consequences.

​Artist Biography:

​Ian Umeh @ianumeh is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist whose practice explores the relationship between the human body, material, culture, and social experience. Working across performance, wearable sculpture, installation, photography, and moving image, Umeh transforms everyday materials and familiar objects into large-scale visual and performative forms. His practice examines human agency, identity, labor, transformation, and the ways individuals negotiate their environments. Through physically demanding performances and constructed sculptural interventions, he uses the body as both a site and instrument of artistic expression.

​Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Umeh has presented his work through exhibitions, public interventions, collaborations, and international art platforms. https://www.Ianumeh.com