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...

This painting is inspired by a Yoruba proverb: “Tí ọmọ bá ń gé igi, baba a dúró kó wo ibi tí igi yóò wó.” “When a child is cutting a tree, the father stands by to see where it will fall.” Rich with metaphor, the work reflects the intergenerational balance between youthful action and elder wisdom. A child, full of determination, chops away at a towering tree, while an elder—likely the father—stands nearby, quietly watching, staff in hand. He does not interfere, but he is present. Set beneath a vivid blue sky and rooted in an earthy field, this moment captures a timeless lesson in leadership, mentorship, and the power of silent observation. It is a visual proverb, reminding us that guidance does not always mean intervention.