EXHIBITION

Olaniyi Rasheed Akindiya Akirash
Jul 13, 2014 9:33PM

SAJE NWA ? / HOW IS THE MARKET An exhibition of mixed media painting/ sculpture installation and video by OLANIYI RASHEED AKINDIYA AKIRASH.

VENUE: George Washington Carver Museum Austin - Texas

opening date: 5th June 2014, 

Closing Date: 30th August 2014

Artists statement:

As an interdisciplinary artist, my works are of moments, places, environments and people; time present in seconds and minutes, which can only be preserved through documentation, as memory is fleeting and easily forgotten or transformed. My work is often marked by an exploration of rural vs. urban life, namely the accelerated pace of development and social infrastructure. I work with a multitude of techniques and materials of which the result may be mixed media painting, sculpture, installation, video, photography, sound or performance. I produce works that explore the personal and the universal,  that investigate the invisible systems of power that govern everyday existence, and which instigate debate among viewers without conventional ink on paper. My works are insight for those who see little; an inner voice for those who are deaf. My works speak for the voiceless and send petitions to the super powers. My works are like mud - only those who speak the truth can walk through and survive it. They say words are like eggs - when they fall,  they can’t be easily packed into their shells again.

When the rooster crows early in the morning - hmmmm - he shakes his head and his whole body reacts as he announces the trouble starting again - struggling, surviving, hustling; searching for that which is celebrated all over the world - bundles of paper and coins named money. Everyone who is trying to make money gets up running, rushing, speeding out of their homes for the opportunity to hit the market. They search to find ways to sell their products to their clients, gain profit from their selling while the buyers look for what has the most value for their money. Still, with all this, those who make billions are not satisfied and those who work so hard are still feeding from hand to mouth. Should we say these papers should be call WANTS instead of MONEY?  Why is this paper never enough? Why is it that when you are searching for a hundred and you find it, you get the problems of a thousand? Why do these papers have so much power over us? Should we say money is a human curse? They say that money is the root of evil. Is this really the right phrase, or should we say that we give this paper the power to control everyone? Why is it that even when a dog hears the call of money he rises, ready to hunt. The pain and worries of this paper are everywhere, from Africa to America to Asia to Europe to Caribbean to Australia. The whole world is a prisoner to Money. This paper built a VERY IMPORTANT PRISON in which every soul wants to go in. I am on my knees praying to Oduaaa, Orumila  Ogun, Aje ogugu niso, God, Jehovah, Buddha, Shiva, Allah to please deliver us from this Temptation that surrounds us and that we are entangled with. Deliver us from this range of wants. Free us from the prison that has become the dress we wear every day.

The economy plays a daily role in sustaining the livelihood of every home, community, state, country, and continent throughout the world. Each local economy is uniquely shaped by the culture and tradition of a place, creating diversity in how people make money, what they decide to sell, and how they market their products.

This project focuses on the various ways people try to make their goods and products known - how they sell, buy, and publicize their products to the world at large. In this project I compare traditional ways of advertising with modern techniques.

 What has changed in different countries?

How do people sell their things?

Where do they sell them?

Who are their main targets?

How do they respond to their customers?

What is the relationship between seller and buyer?

 Who determines the quantity and quality of goods and who sets the price?

Who are the decision makers when it comes to the value of currencies?

How does the stock market influence marketing?

What value does the G-7, G-8 or G-20 add to the economy of world?

This is what keeps me awake every day. It gives me stress. My heart bleeds as I travel to different corners of the world. It is time to confront the issue of Mr. Celebrity called MONEY. I hope this all will make sense to you as I break them into particles in this exhibition and analyze the world we live in, that  we inherited and will pass on from generation to generation. We continue spill our brothers and sister across the world. The land is soaked to the point that we might sink in it, but we did not notice.

Reach out to someone today. Help your neighbors. Remember those who sleep on the street. Take care of the orphans. Protect the weak. Many eat 0-0-1 and if we eat 1-1-1 and have more to throw away, please let us share it.https://artsy.net/www.artwithakirash.com

Olaniyi Rasheed Akindiya Akirash