We Will Survive Painting By Rasheed Amodu

Year:

Medium:

Acrylic Painting

Size - (USA):

36 W x 48 H x 1 D (inches)

Size - (metric):

91.4 W x 121.9 H x 2.5 D (centimeters)

Theme:

Inspirational

Edition:

Original

Artwork ID:

635747

PDF Copy:

Artwork Info Sheet (PDF)

Artwork Description:

This We will Survive is an Onaism styled acrylic on canvas quasi-abstract painting. We will Survive is a symbolic visual commentary on mankind’s relentless ability to survive different adversities across frontiers from the known to the unknown in our world. It dwells on man’s sheer resilience despite occasional daunting odds such as droughts, famines, wars and carnages of different kinds as well as diseases like the present pandemic Coronavirus COVID-19 , infecting people across the world without any specific remedy, but by fate and chance, medical trials and determinations, people are getting cured. Thus, we will survive Coronavirus’ challenges like we survived other pandemics in the past. We will Survive is strictly an inspirational discourse on man’s awesome survival instinct in dire situations. The lone withered and famished male figure with his pregnant shadow coupled with the traditional Yoruba African as well as global forms and motifs metaphorically symbolized hope when hopelessness and defeat stare humanity in the face. His defiance, courage and believe in a better tomorrow against whatever odds is the rugged, dogged and bold stand for victory and success against challenges posed by elements such as Coronavirus, AIDS, cancers, wars, terrorism, chemical and biological weapons, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, among others. Man have survived countless battles and wars through the ages, Coronavirus will be defeated like others before her. We will survive. The white background of the painting is a symbolic expression of peace and transcendental bond of eternal bliss to the departed as well as the survivors in the face of Coronavirus and other life threatening scourges. Other colours were employed in the work because of their symbolic and aesthetic significance. The Sun and her benevolent rays heat up the space with lifesaving swilling heat wave of desperate emotional outpouring of relentless faith in mankind’s survival ability in times of wars in any guise, especially when we are united as one human race. The traditional patterns in square spaces were introduced for balance and cultural significance from a Yoruba African aesthetics’ perspective. The map of the world was superimposed on more traditional patterns to reflect the global nature of the pandemic Coronavirus that is presently at war with mankind. Some of the traditional Yoruba African motifs and forms are not just for decoration and aesthetic purpose, they are significant with symbolic and related messages of survival which is relevant to the painting. Some of these motifs and forms are the all Seeing Eye, the never ending concentric circle and square of continuity which symbolizes an eternal world, the undulating three lines of the good high and bad low times of life, images of the Sun in different forms which is one of the greatest source of power in the universe, image of a stylized mother and child for love family and continuity of mankind on Earth, the X and other motif of the crossroad of life, motifs of the compound and public place for security and togetherness, motifs of C19 for COVID-19 HIV A for AIDS, K for kindness and WE for humanity, among others, were creatively imbued into the painting for symbolic significance. The employment of these patterns are in line with Onaism stylistic ideology and rendering. Zillion people were represented on two of the horizontal lines and two curvy lines as well as the lower part of the work to reflect the solidarity of the human race on the quest to conquer Coronavirus and other threats to humanity. The large heads of the figure and shadow has glowing energy forms like the Sun which reflect the deep strength, knowledge and spirituality of man woman. Since the head is home to the brain, and the brain happens to be one of the greatest force in the universe. The brain can imagine, reinvent, recall, create and achieve countless possibilities. Thus, the image of a mother with a child on her back in stylized form was embellished in the head of the shadow as a metaphor of reproduction and regeneration that ‘we will survive’. The strengthening circular heat waves from the powerful Sun rays was also reflected on the symbolic shadow for symmetrical balance. All figures, forms, patterns, colours and spaces were expressed to capture the inimitable essence of mankind when the topic is about the survival of the human race. We will Survive.

Keywords:   Survive, Human-Race, Adversities, Coronavirus, War, Yoruba, Forms, Inspirational, Famished, Original Painting, Inspirational Painting

Materials:   Acrylic Paintings