Tayo Adekunle

Ésú explores the power that storytelling holds in the preservation of history, tradition and culture. The Berlin Conference of 1884-85 contributed to the division of Africa between European powers and to the formation of the countries of Africa that we know today. Maps show the progressive change in boundaries on the continent and illustrate the imposed changes these boundaries brought. Inspired by the creation of borders and the formation of countries, Adekunle has created a textile print using maps of Africa from different periods of time - from pre-colonial to the present day.

Éṣù-Ẹlẹgára- an Orisha (deity) in Yoruba Spiritual Tradition - is the messenger of the gods. Éṣù is an ambivalent force andacts as an intermediary between humans and the gods, communicating wishes of the physical world to the spiritual one. As the messenger to the gods, a portion of sacrifice is always offered to him. When missionaries came to Nigeria, Yoruba Spiritual Traditions were a part of every aspect of life including healthcare, governance, marriage, dress and death (Seriki, 2020). To aid the local reception to Christianity, the bible was translated into Yoruba. In the original Yoruba translation of the bible, the translation of Éṣù to mean the devil, reduced Éṣù and his complexities to this singular marker of evil. The subsequent stigmatization that Éṣù received is symbolic and illustrative of how Yoruba Spiritual Tradition is negatively regarded as a result of repetitive misrepresentation.

In her work, Adekunle has connected further with her cultural heritage, learning through the stories of the Orishas. Using Toyobo and digital prints, Adekunle’s work looks to counter the narratives surrounding Éṣù and Yoruba spiritual tradition as a whole, illustrating aspects of different stories of Éṣù. The works explore Éṣù’s intricacies and journey through the stories of how Éṣù gained the key to the universe by healing Olofi with his feather and how he became the divine messenger after provoking the High God with his tricks. Stories of the Unseen shows an alternative reading of Éṣù and celebrates his complexities as a guardian, a healer and a playful often misunderstood figure. In using stories to recall cultural history, the work helps us to reconsider dominant cultural narratives that we have been taught.