MY WORKS
Two of my work hanging in the exhibitions‘Wole Soyinka: Antiquities Across Times and Place’ in Haiti, curated by Awam Amkpa of New York University.
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Two of my work hanging in the exhibitions‘Wole Soyinka: Antiquities Across Times and Place’ in Haiti, curated by Awam Amkpa of New York University.
This is very easy.
Even a baby knows what’s in here
Teacher: Nigeria means NIGGER AREA. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Teacher: River Niger means NIGGER river. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Ghana was named Gold Coast.
The people were smart enough
Working it out in the studio.
When nobody supports you,
when everybody says no to you,
when people turn down your requests,
and you cannot get any grant
when they band together to oppose you,
and say your ideas are not practical
and they frown when they see you:
don’t despair;
these are signs that you are moving in the right direction;
keep placing one foot ahead of the other
continue to push ahead
How does one translate ÌKÚNLẸ̀ ABIYAMỌ into English, yet retain the picture that that term conveys in the original Yoruba context?
The word “childbirth,” which is the direct translation of ÌKÚNLẸ̀ ABIYAMỌ does not give the picture of the kneeling woman, giving birth to a child.
TWO ROCK STARS
ROCK 1:
I wish I were a rock of salt.
Then I won’t be so insulted.
Here I sit at the bottom of the stream
pelted by water
pecked by fishes
pinched by crabs
unseen, uncelebrated by man
useless to him and his art.
I wish I were a rock of salt
This is very easy.
Even a baby knows what’s in here
Teacher: Nigeria means NIGGER AREA. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Teacher: River Niger means NIGGER river. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Ghana was named Gold Coast.
The people were smart enough
Working it out in the studio.
When nobody supports you,
when everybody says no to you,
when people turn down your requests,
and you cannot get any grant
when they band together to oppose you,
and say your ideas are not practical
and they frown when they see you:
don’t despair;
these are signs that you are moving in the right direction;
keep placing one foot ahead of the other
continue to push ahead
How does one translate ÌKÚNLẸ̀ ABIYAMỌ into English, yet retain the picture that that term conveys in the original Yoruba context?
The word “childbirth,” which is the direct translation of ÌKÚNLẸ̀ ABIYAMỌ does not give the picture of the kneeling woman, giving birth to a child.
TWO ROCK STARS
ROCK 1:
I wish I were a rock of salt.
Then I won’t be so insulted.
Here I sit at the bottom of the stream
pelted by water
pecked by fishes
pinched by crabs
unseen, uncelebrated by man
useless to him and his art.
I wish I were a rock of salt
This is very easy.
Even a baby knows what’s in here
Teacher: Nigeria means NIGGER AREA. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Teacher: River Niger means NIGGER river. Spell it.
Student: I-T.
Ghana was named Gold Coast.
The people were smart enough