In Their Own Voices - Transcript

Olukayode: My studio keeps that sense of belonging, sense of tradition alive. When I enter this place, I see so many themes that remind me of my work at home, of the things I used to do and it is realy fascinating. It brings everything back to life. This is what part of what I used to see growing up because because going to school everyday we used to pass by market and I would really be captivated by the women carrying pots on their heads, carrying calabshes, oranges, fruits on their to heads to go and sell. it's really fascinating. A lot of people walk past them and they don't notice all this. But as an artist I have a responsibility to constantly express myself on paper and capture these very beautiful scenes. I started understanding this particular part of things when I was about ten years old and it stayed with me since then. But as I grow older, I took art more seriously not just to scribble on paper but I wanted to express what was happening around me especially my immediate environment.

Olukayode: Now what these ladies are wearing is called the Iro Ambuba. The Iro Ambuba is the traditional wear for women from the western part of Nigeria - The Yorubas. The Iro Ambuba a lot of times matches but some women are really radical and they want to wear a different combination. So, when I incorporate those women who do not want to wear the same material, it also brings to light what's going on in the present generation of women. Now in Yoruba land, baskets are called Akwere and they are balanced on the heads of women and they can carry up to 100 pounds on their heads without support from anybody. Really, really strong women. The back looks like a major accident! Just a little operation with pieces of cloth but it's totally different from what you have right there. This is the finished work and this piece actually shows 5 women hawking oranges in Ibadan, West Africa, Nigeria.