He was born in 1972 in Achi, Enugu State, Nigeria. His mentor is the Ghanaian sculptor El Anatsui. He is a professor of art and design at the University of Nigeria. And his artistic practice resides at the intersection of textiles, embroidery, and pottery. This is Ozioma Onuzulike. His wall hangings—or “structures”—are made of stoneware clay beads and palm kernel shells wired together in history-steeped color combinations, their grid patterns often bordering on the cosmic. Shaped like gowns and blouses laid out, they suggest glowing Byzantine mosaics or the chainmail of an ancient queen; they are, as well, a comment on trade and plunder between nations. Onuzulike is also a poet, renowned in his country, and a deep lyricism is alive in his astonishing art. “It’s a laborious process,” he has said, “but that labor is metaphorical for me; it’s about the burden Africa has to bear.” —Laura Jacobs