Excavations of the First Dynasty
Moyo Okediji
Title: Excavations of the First Dynasty
Medium: acrylic on canvas
date: 2021
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Moyo Okediji
Title: Excavations of the First Dynasty
Medium: acrylic on canvas
date: 2021
This is one of the paintings I just discovered in my garage.
The painting celebrates Robert Hayden’s poem, “Middle Passage.”
It is a really long poem.
The painting focuses on this excerpt:
“That Crew and Captain lusted with the comeliest
of the savage girls kept naked in the cabins;
that there was one they called The Guinea Rose
and they cast lots and fought to lie with her: ”
The character across the floor of the ship being whipped to consent is the lady called Guinea Rose in the poem.
The mighty and resplendent Iya Iroko
tree had remained rooted
to the same spot
near the Oba river
for three hundred and sixty-four seasons
watching the ways of humans
from the viewpoint of a plant
under which folks sat
It’s good.
Nature is healing.
Life is in becoming.
Time is resetting
The rhythm of time
The simplest thing, as ordinary as just inhaling and exhaling, is an amazing feat of enjoyment.
When you can inhale and exhale, just enjoy it because it’s priceless.
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
I’ve been excited lately about something.
Yesterday I received the certificate of occupancy for MOYOGALLERIA, Austin, Texas.
I will focus on African art.
We will invite African artists for residencies of up to three months.
We will provide the artist with a living and working space.