The Farmer of Colors
The Farmer of Colors
Harvesting a field
of chromatic linguistics
is akin to a dance:
first you must hold
your canvas like a partner
and place layers of
harmonious tinctures over
the picture plane.
The Crossroads
I went into my garage and found a harvest of forgotten canvases waiting for me.
This corona break has given me some time to look at what I already have produced.
This is the last painting I did in 1992, just before leaving Nigeria.
You will notice that it is made from gouache.
OBITUARY
The death of
Abba Kyari is a major loss
for Nigeria.
Because he departed
so suddenly and unexpectedly,
eliminated by a killer so
vehemently and with matchless
dispatch, the victim most
My patience.
My patient is dead. I pulled out the stethoscope, and thermometer, took the temperature, measured the…
Citruses
Don’t pick an orange
for its enormous size.
The fatness of the citrus
is not a sign of its sweetness.
I’ve seen large oranges
that are firm and juiceless
And I’ve eaten tiny ones
so sweet and sumptuous
2013
I did this exhibition in 2013.
By the way
By the way Beware those who promise heaven: They may take your earth and will stealthily…
CORONAVIRUS INCANTATION
The idea of the coronavirus as Èrè, may be found in the Ifa verse here. The Yoruba verse is above, with the English translation below:
Èrè délé Alárá
Ó kólé Alárá
Èrè délé Ajerò
Ó kólé Ajerò
5. Èrè délé Ọwáràngún Àgà
Ó jẹlé Ọwáràngún Àgà
Ìròhìn kàn bá Ọ̀rúnmìlá
Wípé Èrè ti dájọ́, ó ti móṣù
I’m off to take a walk.
I’m off to take a walk.
I need to stretch my legs.
But though the corona seed is in season,
It will not find me.
I will not eat of its evil fruit.
Where is your book?
Where is your book?
In a lock-down world
in which information production
and dissemination has changed.
I use the books to build a wall
to distance me socially because
The library as we knew it
has become a museum.
Hey, world out there
Hey, world out there
I hunker down here
and hail you, dear friend,
for we now live in the world
of virtual friends
but you can’t hug anymore.
We live in a new world.
It’s good.
It’s good.
Nature is healing.
Life is in becoming.
Time is resetting
The rhythm of time