Inua Ellams MBE Residency: MOWAA

In October 2025, MOWAA welcomed Inua Ellams MBE as our resident artist. A celebrated poet, playwright, and multidisciplinary artist, Inua worked on campus, developing his project, Stained Metal, in collaboration with brasscaster Phil Omodamwen. The work reimagines Inua’s MBE medal as a way of questioning and reframing colonial honours, linking Benin’s metalworking heritage to contemporary reflections on identity, legacy, and belonging.

Ellams' residency focused on exploring the moral tensions and notions of neo-colonial validation linked to his recently awarded MBE prize, reframing this in the context of immigration, repatriation and modern artisanal practice. In connection with his writing practice/book project, Inua also worked with young poets and storytellers based in Benin City during his stay, resulting in the establishment of a newly emerged Benin Writers Collective.