The Nomad Pastors
Concept
As Africans, tradition is everything we value and want to pass on to the following generations. This tradition is usually reflected in objects, places, and practices that we use to tell stories about ourselves. These things define us and play a central role in shaping our sense of identity as individuals and communities. We are so attached to these things that even if we become more progressive, these things we value remains.
I wanted to reflect on these attachments we have with the things that form our identity in my artworks. I imagined a fusion between a futuristic, modernized Africa that is visualized by gadgets and cyborgs from the future, and the underlying objects we have attachments to that we use in our daily life.
This juxtaposition of two seemingly contrasting things forms a narrative that reveals that there are things that we as a society, even if we progress “modernized”, cannot seem to lose. These things after all, for the society, are less about functionality but more about our identity. Since these things, are crucial in how we define ourselves.
The salt miner of Danakil Depression
Time Shepherd
Seeking Solace
Wandering Companion
