The third Ìlékùnlẹ́ gathering centers the etso — pottery and pottery stands of the Nupe people of northern Nigeria. Among the Nupe, pottery is exclusively a woman's art: knowledge transmitted through matrilineal relationship, from mother to daughter, grandmother to granddaughter, across generations.
This afternoon will bring guests of all ages into the presence of objects that carry centuries of material intelligence — and into a conversation about what it means to hold that knowledge, and to pass it on.
This event is family friendly. Children are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Hosted in partnership with Rozet Nursery — a Tucson institution rooted in the same values that guide House of Oye: intentional stewardship of living things, deep respect for the natural world, and a commitment to cultivating spaces where community can gather and grow. Together, the two spaces make a natural home for this conversation.
Select pieces from the collection are available for purchase through Rozet Nursery.
Etso Vessels and Stands
Hand-built water vessels and stands formed using the coil method — a technique passed exclusively through female lineages among the Nupe. The forms are functional and ceremonial, used in domestic life and in rites of passage.
Learn More ↗Knowledge Transmission
Nupe pottery knowledge is not written down. It lives in the hands of the women who practice it. A daughter learns by watching, then by doing — first small forms, then larger ones, over years. The knowledge is inseparable from the relationship through which it passes.
Form & Function
Every form in the Nupe tradition has a name and a purpose. Water pots are shaped to keep contents cool through evaporation. Cooking vessels are built to distribute heat evenly. The design intelligence embedded in these forms is the result of centuries of refinement — not decoration, but engineering.
Continuity & Change
Contemporary Nupe potters continue to work in the tradition while navigating the pressures of industrially produced alternatives. The persistence of hand-built pottery in Nupe communities is not nostalgia — it is an active choice to maintain a form of knowledge that cannot be replicated by a machine.
"These vessels were not made to be looked at. They were made to be used, to be held, to be passed on. Placing them in an exhibition is an act of translation — and we hold that responsibility carefully."
— House of Oye
This event has not yet taken place. A highlight reel will be available here after June 6, 2026.