Depicting the beauty and essence of the ‘Orishas’ i.e divinities of the Yoruba culture, in Western Nigeria, the Atlanta-based Photographer created the ‘Orisha’ art exhibition to portray the Yoruba gods through art and illustration. The Yoruba culture, which is one of the largest tribes in Nigeria, has at least 1,700 gods of which 20 are recognized or most famous. Some of these gods are worshiped in their own rights while others are paid tribute through holidays and festivals.
See what he said about his ‘YORUBA ORISHA EXPERIENCE’ exhibition below.
Throughout my formal education from elementary up through college I never heard tale of African deities. A little over a month ago I began to research online to find information in regards to the gods & goddesses of Africa. To my surprise there were many, however the ones that stood out the most were the deities of Nigeria and Benin, West Africa which they referred to as ORISHAS.
This entire belief in the Orishas was directly linked to the Yoruba of the Ifa Tradition.
I wanted to portray the regal beauty of each Orisha while also representing their majestic sensuality. Each iconic depiction was rendered to lend strength to our resilience as a great race of people and to show our youth that they are beautiful, bold and brilliant just they way God created them to be. Although I am aware that the Ifa Tradition traveled in the Ori “Head” of those Blacks that were captured as slaves and sent to other parts of the diaspora, I chose to focus on the true origin of the faith. Therefore each Orisha’s name is written in the Yoruba dialect and captures imagery of powerful men, women & children of various complexions who are all of African descent.
To all critics of my artwork who feel that I have misrepresented, over-sexualized, over-modernized, mis-colorized or overall disrespected the Orishas I would like to draw your attention to my favorite phrase….”INTERPRETATION…MUCH LIKE THE BIBLE IS BASED UPON THE TRANSLATOR”. There is no wrong when it comes to an artist’s creative interpretation, one must learn to become fluid with your perception and open up your mind to what the creator of the work is trying to convey. To all of my faithful supporters I would just like to say that I appreciate you more than words could ever express.
In no way, shape or form am I advocating the Ifa tradition, as I myself am not a practitioner of the faith, however I wish to shed light on our rich history in hopes that it will enlighten those who wish to dismiss our culture and heritage as merely rubbish. I am not the source of wisdom surrounding the Ifa Tradition as previously stated…I am merely the artist, however the door has been opened for you to research and learn more for yourself…Take that opportunity!
