COMPOSITION 21

             I SAW THE BANANA TREE FALL

THIS COLLECTION IS A BODY OF WORK CENTRED AROUND THEMES OF SPIRITUALITY, PHILOSOPHY AND COSMOLOGY FROM AN AFRICAN FRAME OF REFERENCE. THIS COMPOSITION REFLECTS ON AN AFRICAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING, AND A DISCOVERY OF THE MEANING OF LIFE ON EARTH IN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSAL ORDER OF THINGS. THE COMPOSITION SPATIALLY LOOKS AT BIRTH FROM THE WOMB, THE SUBJECT OF BEING, EXISTENCE AND FINDING MEANING IN THE TEMPORALITY OF LIFE. THIS COMPOSITION DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM THE TIMES, TO UNRAVEL MEANINGLESSNESS AS AN ELEMENT OF LIFE. THESE WORKS-ART FORMS, ARE INITIATED BY A SERIES OF PAINTINGS CREATED BY THE ARTIST, WITH THEIR LITERATURE (GARMENTRATURE) AS EXTENSIONS.

THE COMPOSITION DRAWS REFERENCES FROM THE ARTIST’S ORIGIN IN SOUTHEASTERN NIGERIA, BY USING ART TO REFLECT HIS CULTURE AND USE IT AS A TOOL TO FURTHER DISSECT HIS SPIRITUAL HERITAGE IN TANGENT TO THE COSMOS AND WAYS OF THOUGHT OF HIS ANCESTORS. THE WORK SETS TO UNDERSTAND THE SACREDNESS OF LIFE AS A FLEETING ELEMENT, IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH THE EARTH AND UNIVERSE. THE ARTIST DRAWS FROM A PLANT SHOOT TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND AND RELAY THIS TEMPORALITY. THE COMPOSITION THROUGH ITS CONCEPTION AND CRAFT HIGHLIGHTS THE LINKS BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY.

THE COLLECTION IS MADE UP OF GARMENTS, FOOTWEARS AND BAGS ALL CREATED BY WORKING WITH AMAZING ARTISANS ACROSS AFRICA- NIGERIA, BURKINA FASO, KENYA AND SOUTHAFRICA. THE GARMENTS ARE MADE THROUGH AN ARTISAN COMMUNITY PRODUCING HAND WOVEN TEXTILES, BATIK, KNITWEAR, EMBROIDERY AND PRINTING. THE FOOTWEARS/ BAGS ARE CREATED USING INDIGENOUS AFRICAN TECHNIQUES AND CONSTRUCTED COLLAGE APPLICATIONS OF LOCALLY SOURCED LEATHER/ MATERIALS AND LOCALLY SCULPTED ARCHITECTURALLY INSPIRED HEELS AND SOLES.