The third episode of the second season of “First Class Material” features John Amanam, a Nigerian sculptor and inventor, who shares the story of how his brother’s accident inspired him to become a hyperrealistic prosthetics artist. Amanam utilizes his artistic talents to create prosthetic limbs for physically challenged individuals, with a particular focus on crafting prosthetics for black people. He discovered that many available prosthetic limbs were designed for Caucasians and saw an opportunity to address this disparity.
John Amanam’s artistic journey was influenced by his family’s artistic background, as both his father and grandfather were artists. Although his parents initially discouraged him from pursuing art and he first studied Philosophy, he eventually pursued his passion by studying Fine and Industrial Arts at the University with a specialization in sculpting.
The turning point in Amanam’s career came when his younger brother suffered an accident, resulting in the loss of fingers. Instead of seeking prosthetics abroad, Amanam decided to leverage his sculpting skills to create hyperrealistic prosthetic fingers for his brother. This experience led him to recognize the need for prosthetics that accurately match the skin tones of individuals, prompting him to develop a solution.
Since embarking on this journey, John Amanam has brought hope to numerous physically challenged individuals, including children, by providing them with lifelike prosthetics. The satisfaction he derives from seeing the joy on his clients’ faces serves as a testament to the impact of his work.
“First Class Material” is a docuseries presented by Linda Ikeji TV and sponsored by First Bank of Nigeria. You can watch episode 3 of Season 2 below:
