EJA NLA 1

EJA NLA I

Project Description

Eja Nla I (translated as The Big Fish) was conceived as a monumental public sculpture celebrating Lagos’s aquatic heritage and its identity as a city born of water. Installed along the Lagos–Epe Expressway, the piece served as both a landmark and a metaphor — a visual embodiment of strength, abundance, and transformation drawn from Yoruba cosmology.

The sculpture featured a single, towering fish rising vertically from a pedestal, its form sleek yet powerful, appearing to leap skyward. Fabricated in stainless steel over a reinforced metal frame, the work combined traditional symbolism with modern engineering. Its surface shimmered under sunlight, echoing the motion of water and the rhythm of the city’s coastal life.

Over several months, I worked closely with a team of craftsmen and engineers to bring Eja Nla I to life. The challenges were immense — from constructing and transporting its massive form to ensuring stability and balance on site. The sculpture’s vertical orientation required careful calibration of internal supports, especially as it was designed to appear weightless despite its scale.

Concept & Meaning

Eja Nla I draws from the Yoruba metaphor of the “Big Fish” — a figure of success, resilience, and leadership. In Lagos, it stands for the city’s indomitable energy and its deep connection to water as both origin and sustenance.

Beyond its physical form, Eja Nla I was created to evoke movement and aspiration — a fish leaping toward the sky, symbolizing Lagos’s continuous rise. Though later decommissioned, the work remains a defining exploration of scale, symbolism, and the relationship between art, identity, and environment.

Commissioned by Lagos State Government; curated by Terra Kulture; designed and fabricated by Adeodunfa.