Forest of Wisdom (1) Painting

This abstract composition is among my 'Forest of Wisdom' series of paintings, that reference common themes about the societal happenings in Nigerians. The reference includes ‘variety is the spice of life’ (an allegory) and the New Yam festival, celebrated annually in Eastern Nigeria. The metaphorical rendition of root forms dwells on depth, cluster arrangement, movement, noise, space, time and crowd forms which resonates local melodies. ‘Forest of Wisdom (1)’ is a compendium of visual voices that sing to labor; labor that sings to the agricultural tradition of Nigerian farmers and the wellbeing of the nation. The metaphoric contents draw an analogy between the crowd forms and socio-cultural wellbeing of Nigerians. The picture plane is crowded by a variety of root patterns, which appear like a forest found in Eastern Nigeria. The paintings reflect on the New Yam festival (Iri Ji Ohuru), held in some villages of Eastern Nigeria. ‘New Yam’ is celebrated annually in August at the beginning of harvest season. It is a cultural event that is characterized by a theatre of art forms, such as music, performance, and folklore. The multiple root forms represent the celebrants and their spectators. The painting chronicles the sequence of events at the ‘New Yam’ festival. They are visual metaphors for unity, peace, and progress. ‘Forest of Wisdom (1)’ is monochromatic painting composed of multiple Cassia tora root patterns and background of yellow ochre and brown hues. The picture plane is crowded by a variety of Cassia tora root patterns, which appear like a forest. The crowd forms represent the villagers and their spectators. Besides crowd forms, the composition relies on space, depth, light and time. The dominance of yellow hues in the warm color combination and the brightness of the composition is symbolic of an early morning sunrise. The nodes are completely eliminated from the composition. The absence of the nodes signifies that the village has been cleansed from all sorts of sins, restoring trust among the people. At this moment, there is peace, unity, and excitement. And with the early morning sunrise, the villagers and their spectators are ready to celebrate.

Painting:Oil on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:72 W x 60 H x 0.1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.