The human head, as a center of waking and dreaming consciousness, is a focus of Audu's work. He connects it to traditional Yoruba ideas about the "inner head" and its associations with full potential, character and personality. This example is part of a series of abstract works focusing on the human body and its association with Yoruba philosophical concepts.
As Osi Audu says of his art: "the focus of my work is the human head. I see this as the centre of our waking and dreaming consciousness. This is related to the Yoruba concept of 'Ori Inuie,' the inner head, as mouth and ears have been regarded mainly as sensory apparatus attached to the head. For aesthetic rather than mimetic reasons they are arranged differently each time to change the expression of being."
Audu, Osi. 1995. Kwangju Biennale: 20 September 1995-20 November, 1995. Seoul: Kwangju Biennale Foundation, p. 92.
Description:
Pastel and graphite drawing on paper featuring a dark bean shape with the words "eyes mouth ears nose" written inside in negative space.
Exhibition History:
Journeys and Destinations, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., January 31-November 30, 2003
Content Statement:
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