The Last Journey Begins

This painting is a visual tribute to the burial rituals of my childhood village in Nigeria. It's a memory engraved into my soul. In our tradition, the act of carrying the coffin is not merely logistical; it’s ceremonial. A strong man, often chosen for his physical and moral stature, balances the heavy coffin on his head, cushioned by folded cloth and fastened with red cloth rope that signifies honour, duty, and communal strength.

The painting depicts that symbolic moment of transition when the body is prepared for its final journey, and the entire village comes alive in shared purpose. The crowd, dressed in traditional garments and headpieces, forms a chorus of presence, emotion, and respect.

Thatched huts, swaying palms, and birds in the sky frame the event, rooting it in the rhythms of rural life and the natural world.

This work speaks to the sacred relationship between the living and the dead, the weight of tradition, and the beauty of communal rituals. It is a remembrance of the way we honour our ancestors; not with silence alone, but with colour, music, movement, and deeply felt reverence.