Art x Adẹ

This painting draws inspiration from the Yoruba proverb:  “Ẹiyẹ tó fẹ́ fo, wọn sọ ko luu.”   This translates to mean,  “A bird is ready to fly and you are throwing a stone at it.” The proverb exposes the futility and poor judgment in resisting what is already in motion. In this work, the bird symbolises a person, idea, or moment that has reached its time to rise, move forward, or break free. The stone represents opposition, pointless, reactive, and too late. The act of throwing it becomes not just futile, but foolish.  By using collage to depict the bird and the stone-thrower, I explore the tension between progress and resistance. The scene captures the moment of near-departure, just before the bird takes flight, yet already beyond control. The textures and tones reflect both movement and confrontation: the inevitability of change and the often misguided attempts to block it. This piece is a reflection on human behaviour, how we sometimes resist what we...

In “Harmony on the Branch,” I draw inspiration from the Yoruba proverb "Irọrun igi ni irọrun ẹiyẹ," which reminds us of the symbiotic relationships that sustain life. The painting features a lone red bird perched confidently on the branch of a textured tree, enveloped in a vibrant, abstract backdrop of yellow and blue, representing warmth and life’s ever-flowing energy. The tree, deeply rooted and expansive in form, symbolises stability, while the bird embodies gentleness and the need for safety. Together, they tell a story of mutual dependence: one cannot thrive without the other. It’s a graphic illustration of the Ubuntu philosophy; "I am because you are." This painting speaks to human connections, the health of our environment, and the delicate balance required for all beings to flourish. It invites the viewer to reflect on the quiet, often unnoticed interconnections that uphold peace, harmony and comfort in our shared world.