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Tag Archives: art

Bogotá: The Writings on the Wall

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by nubiaNomad in Travel

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APC, art, Bastardilla, Bogotá, Colombia, graffiti, Rodez, Stinkfish, travel

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Bogotá: The Writings on the Wall, a set on Flickr.

I had the opportunity to visit some dear friends in Bogotá this past summer. The trip left a lasting impression on me and I could not immediately write about it. As most new visitors to the country, I was thoroughly intimidated by Bogotá’s hostile streets and notoriety for violent attacks. What I encountered was something far more welcoming.

The city’s warmth is buried deep inside beneath layers that shield from the mostly chilly, rainy weather and street crimes. At the core, my time in Bogotá was filled with joyful family gatherings around food and music. What struck me the most was how the city has embraced its art for the masses. Visual art is displayed on every inch of available space. From large murals, to poles, signs, you name it, it’s been tagged, bombed or painted.

The talking walls of Bogota run the gambit from playful banter to militant warnings. In the process telling rich stories of Colombia’s dark side and hopes for the future. World renowned graffiti artists call Bogotá home and have made it clear by displaying their masterpieces on the city’s walls. From Rodez, a 50 year old who creates stunning surreal visuals with his two children to Stinkfish who is known for his incorporation of cartoon fish in his work. Thought-provoking female graffiti artist Bastardilla creates larger than life murals that touch on subjects such as femininity and sexuality. Along with these solo artists, there numerous crews such as the APC (Animal Poder Crew) create prolific stencil work highlighting social injustices.

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Black Jesus

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by nubiaNomad in thoughts

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art, culture, Ethiopia

Some years back prior to moving to Ethiopia a family friend gave me a beautiful painting from Ethiopia with 3 chocolate coloured, almond-eyed women sitting around and making coffee. Their distinctive faces are typical of drawings and paintings that date back centuries in the Ethiopian Orthodox church. Although I do not frequent many churches, I did notice something rather odd, outside all major churches in Addis there are men or women selling large posters of a blue-eyed, blond-haired Mary holding a milk-coloured baby Jesus. I was caught a bit off-guard.

I then took a trip to Lalibella, which I blogged about last year. There among the 11 rock-hewn churches that we traversed, I saw only 2 main pictures depicting biblical figures as seen in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Instead around each and every altar there was this new image, a foreign image. I couldn’t really understand the significance or implications on the religion.

Last week I attended a lecture where this very same issue was brought up. From a religious point of view, I can’t even begin to delve into the matter because I know far too little. As an art from it is sad that such iconic images are disappearing from the view. I get the sense that some view this style of art as archaic vestiges of the Orthodox Church. Although the church popularized this artistic style, it is not only limited to the church but represents a style  that has been crafted, and refined in Ethiopia.

Again with so many matters that compel me to write a blog post, I have more questions than answers. It is understandable in this increasingly interconnected world that with many things including art, food, music there is a global sampling process taking place, but how is this process taking shape? why are some things so easily adopted and why are we so quick to let go of what we have?  Observing this shift in Ethiopian art, made me reflect on the fact that in Sudan we widely celebrate international artists, and at regional scale many Middle Eastern artists but are not so generous to our own home-grown talent. In terms of music there is wide appreciation but when it comes to visual arts, there is relatively little support or praise.

I ask my Ethiopian friends to shed some light on this issue with respect to the disappearance of black Jesus from church mantles across the country. As for fam and friends out there, we need to do a better job of promoting and supporting our local artists, because it is a shame that their unique and inspiring work is going about unnoticed and being overwhelmed by works in the international sphere.

 

 

 

 

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