Read Ohirenua "Renua" Giwa-Amu's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Ohirenua "Renua" Giwa-Amu

San Francisco, CA, USA

April 20, 1994 - December 26, 2020

Apr 20, 1994 - Dec 26, 2020

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Ohirenua “Renua” Giwa-Amu passed away on December 26, 2020 at 26 years old. She was born on April 20, 1994, the last of 4 children. She’s remembered by those who loved her, including her mother (Ngozi Anyaegbunam Giwa-Amu), 3 siblings (Jeni, Femi and Aima), aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who she turned into her family. Though Renua’s life was short, she was filled with fierce love for the people in her life, openness and a love for life. She will be deeply missed.

She was a true artist and flourished in several mediums. Before attending the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she acquired a Bachelor's Degree in Animation and Interactive Technology, she interned at the Nike Art Gallery in Lagos. She went on to become a resident artist at RBH Works Gallery in San Francisco and took part in the Onye Ozi Artist for Social Change Fellowship in Oakland. She never stopped creating art that reflected her love for her culture and the celebration of black womanhood.

In 2017, she released her graduating thesis and debut film ‘The Stick’ which won her several awards and was selected for several Film festivals, including Reel Love Film Festival (2017), Spooky Film Festival (2017), Legacy of Black Women Film Showcase (2018), TOFUZI International Animated Film Festival (2019), DISCOP Abidjan (2019) and CINEQUEST (2019). "The Stick" is also featured in the sixth season of PBS & KQED television series “Film School Shorts”, a broadcast which features the top student films created at the best art universities in the US annually.

Renua loved art. From a very early age, Renua discovered and honed her artistic talents. She found art to be a dynamic and creative way to express herself and her experiences, find comfort/solace, spark thoughtful conversation about the culture she grew up in and connect with people. Renua would draw on anything and everything - I (Efe) remember as teenagers, she would always carry around a small wooden box with art supplies. She loved to engrave different images on the lid of the box, always excited to share her new piece, each one better than the last. Her countless sketchbooks are lovingly preserved by her mother.

Renua was thoughtful and kind. An animal lover from a young age. She always had dogs growing up and as the last child, she was often charged with caring for many of them on her own - a task she loved and still talked about in adulthood (she went on to adopt a Chihuahua puppy that she named Sirius, after Sirius Black from one of her favourite childhood books/movies). One of my fondest memories of Renua was when we were about 9/10 years old. We spent a day at the Ikoyi Club, Lagos where Renua taught me how to swim. I (Ebehi) remember her encouraging me to just go for it because there was nothing to be scared of. This is how most of our conversations were structured. Renua constantly encouraged and cheered me on in everything I put my mind to. I am a stronger person because of the friend I had in her. I remember how happy she was when she spent days with me celebrating my wedding. Our conversations during that time left me in awe of the woman Renua had become.

Renua was bold and fearless. Not only was she one of the founding members of the African Students Association at SCAD but she, angry like many others at the police brutality faced by youth in Nigeria, jointly coordinated End SARS protests in the Bay Area where she lived, as a show of support for the protests in Nigeria in October 2020. Renua was strong-willed and determined. She was never afraid to speak up for people who could not speak up for themselves, to lend her voice to what was just, even in the face of fear. Renua defended herself and the people she loved, with the truth. Time and again, she refused to be intimidated.

She was always there for her friends. If you needed Renua, you could be sure she would show up fully for you with words of encouragement and offers of support. She was a truly beautiful person, inside and out. As 11 year olds embarking on the new & scary adventure of High School together, we convinced everyone we were sisters, and took up the responsibility of that title wholeheartedly, always looking out for one another. I (Efe) still remember countless check-ins with each other in different classes, defending each other when the other was absent, and even Renua leaving a gift of the fattest snails she could find for me, because she knew I’d love them.

Our sister had such an exuberant spirit, her humour and energy drew people to her, and Renua often built a tribe of her own wherever she went. Life is never easy but Renua flowed through it with such grace, intensity and conviction that you would think she’d been here before. Despite the obstacles life might have thrown her way, she achieved so much and was on her way to achieve more. She was on a mission to live life to the fullest and her joie de vivre was contagious. You couldn’t get off the phone with her without feeling recharged and ready to take on anything!

I (Naomi) remember one of our running jokes when we were in secondary school. We had a goal of setting up an art studio in Manhattan after graduation (our shared dream at the time) and in order to fulfil it we planned to own and operate a falafel cart at the centre of the city, Times square to be exact. After we’d graduated and had both become fully entrenched in our separate lives, which were very different from what we’d always imagined, Renua would remind me years later that we always had the choice to run away and start our falafel empire. I can’t help but feel like I really should have taken her up on the offer because with my best friend by my side I literally felt and knew that anything could be possible.

Our sister was loved and we truly cannot find the right words to express how much we will miss her. We will always cherish every moment we shared with her and remember Renua as a true artist who put those close to her before herself. Rest well love.

Love,
Naomi Nwaobi, Efe Ekperigin & Ebehi Diaz Ijewere

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