In collaboration with the Moody Center for the Arts and Astral Brewing, Ogboh created a stout-based beer inspired by cultural narratives of people of Nigerian descent in Houston, Texas. The flavor of the beer is based on research the artist conducted in preparation for the project. Asking people from the Nigerian community how they would describe the flavor of Houston, and to what degree Nigerian culture has influenced food, fashion, and music, Ogboh collated various responses to inform his artistic concept for the beer. The qualifying notes of spicy, smoky, and sweet that many respondents included in their description will be reflected in a dark stout, echoing the chosen emblematic flavors and allowing visitors to experience art through the less frequently examined sense of taste. The title Japa is a term derived from the Yoruba language and coined by Nigerians to describe people who are leaving their homeland to relocate to another country.
