Poet and textile designer, Star Zahra (nee Okpeh Precious Star), is an emotionally aware creative artist.
There are three kinds of artistes: those who separate their lives from their crafts, those who create works that borrow loosely from their lives and outside of themselves, and the artistes who mine deeply from the wells of their beings (not from a place of self-centeredness or narcissism) to create art that resonates with others. Star comes across as such an artiste.
Introverted by nature, Star is not big on socialising; she feels things intensely and is a natural observer of everyday life and people. Rather than pretend to be what she is not, the artist, at the early age of 14, chose to channel these aspects of herself into her poetry, and by age 17, published her first poetry collection titled ‘The Dance of Dawn’ (2018). ‘Girls and the Silhouette of Form’ (2024) followed seven years later.
Her poetry, which revolves around life and people, and how both affect her life and that of others, is beautiful when beautiful things happen, and ugly when ugliness is the order of the day. Her work is enriched by her ‘sensitivity’, which is tempered by a tough childhood, enabling her to experience emotions, be it love, joy, pain, or betrayal, very deeply, but then address the issue at hand and move on.
“We live in a world that does not pause for our hysteria. We must dust off and move on. We must acknowledge our feelings, make decisions, and rely on them. This is my way of balancing {my emotions},” said Star.
Star’s poetry is not driven by the desire for publication, but instead is written as and when inspired. She likes playing with style and form, occasionally revisiting a written piece. In making her poetry more accessible to the Nigerian reader, Star maintains a simple diction, a major characteristic of her role models – Nigerian poet and playwright J.P. Clark, Ghanaian poet Kwesi Brew, and British poet Emily Dickinson.
Motherhood and family have not only impacted her craft but her worldview – teaching her patience, self-kindness, and self-acceptance, while also offering a sense of grounding reality.
“My husband, Richard Ali, is a novelist and poet. He has been kind. We have gone through very difficult phases, and we’ve remained. He sometimes looks through my poetry, editing and offering valuable feedback.
“Motherhood has its own way of expanding one’s perspective. It brings what astronauts term ‘the overview effect’ – that changes one’s mentality on life and existence.
They question what they have been prioritising and what they really want. I think motherhood has this effect too, and I believe it’s influenced my work now.”
A multidisciplinary artist, Star’s poetry is connected to her traditional textile art practice. As a tie-dye artist, she moves from the abstract and imaginative form of poetry to the visual and tactile practice of textile-making. Both art forms feed into one another.
“Poetry and design fit each other for me. One is visual, and I can control the colours and motif, but I cannot control the result. The other is abstract. I can control skill and words, but not their interpretation, depending on who is reading it. My fabric designs feel very poetic to me when I’m done, and it’s spread out. The lines, the curves, the colours are so beautiful. I feel the same way I feel after writing a poem.”
Her upcoming art exhibition, titled ‘Family’, is set to open in March 2026 at the British Council Abuja and will feature a collection of new tie-dye designs that explore the concept of family. Inspired by her 4-year-old daughter, who loves the idea of family, the exhibition will invite viewers to “take a moment and appreciate what feels most like family to them, be it immediate relatives, a friend, a group, a club, or a memory. The most meaningful and comforting things are the people we consider our ride-or-die. They are our family,” averred Star.
Indeed, her love of family and the desire to leave a legacy that her loved ones will remember her by make sense.
“I am not afraid of being forgotten,” she said, “but I do think it will be unfortunate for one to be forgotten. Perhaps the question should be, who are the people we’re aiming for to remember us? If we’re aiming to be remembered by strangers, that’s unfortunate.
“Family and friends will never forget us. What is important is that there is something to be found; that I am leaving something to be found post mortem.
“I want them (family and friends) to have something that reflects my mind and the way that I think. When other people find it too and appreciate it, it feels like a gift that I am incredibly happy to receive. My main purpose is to express myself and to contribute to society. Writing is how I do that best. Literature is the one thing I am knowledgeable about. It’s how I attach myself to my country, my community, and to my own memory,” concluded Star.
