Title:
Cotch I
Cotch II
“Pure Rugged Water I-XII

Year:
2025

Format:

“Cotch I and II”
Mixed Media
89 x 46 x 46 cm

“Pure Rugged Water I-XII”
Glass, engraved
15 x 12 x 7 cm

Banal garden chairs, ubiquitous in the slums of Lagos where MUSCLE is set. From weddings to funerals, street celebrations to moments of languor, they denote universality and notions of value. Elevated here in mixed-media, the chairs are covered in fabric sleeves made from a patchwork of recycled sports clothing with branded logos. The materiality of the object can be seen as the sleeve opens in sections to reveal the chair’s resin form.

The series of glass sculptures titled “Pure Rugged Water” is inspired by Nigeria’s ‘Pure Water’ culture; the commodity of drinking water in plastic bags, prevalent on the streets and consumed by a working class demographic. Presented in the film MUSCLE (2025) as ‘product placement,’ these water bags are consumed by a working class demographic. Although somewhat generally inexpensive, their rising costs reflect challenging economic circumstances in the country.

Loosely regulated by the authorities, anybody can start their own ‘pure water’ company and often, the water isn’t necessarily free of impurities. “I wanted to highlight how even water is embedded in capitalist structures and becomes a symbol of democratised access to economic independence” – Karimah Ashadu.