Filmmaker Statement

To a vast number of Esan people, a certain measure is an unquestioned remedy for ailments whose symptom is a swollen spleen. This is the Ema/Udeh traditional tattoo. Beyond medicinal, aesthetic, spiritual, and identity significations, experts have even begun to deem it evolutionary, feasibly moving Ema/Udeh from its present abdominal abode - where it is restricted on private exhibit for many years - to the canvas. On the canvas, the curative yet artistic patterns can be replicated for public consumption. From ages past, the Esan people of Edo State have found succour in artistic markings on the abdomen, considering them curative of a swollen spleen, medically termed 'splenomegaly'. In the 21st century, the practice has not waned. It surprisingly thrives, prompting interest and critical discourse from far and wide, despite the spiraling popularity of orthodox medical practice.