Engaging Ripples ii; Global Africa Project-2010. Museum of Art and Design, New York

Engaging Ripples (i) was one of the works I produced for my MFA projects in 2006 under the  theme- WATER: medium, idea, and concept for sculpture. In some places in Africa and other parts of the world, it is common to see the rivers and other bodies of water being regarded as political boundaries. Ironically, all parties around it converge on the same spot-water for all that could be benefitted...be it for fishing, recreation, traveling...and so on.

Stemming from one of the strongest properties of water, being its universality and a dominant portion of existence/life, I begin to think of ‘what is in a boundary’. In this case, is it a demarcation or a meeting point?  Metaphorically, the water ripples and the interlocking movements and effects try to deconstruct any virtual wall, and references the interconnectedness of all units of nature-people, cultures and places. 

Between 2006 when I created 'Engaging Ripple (i) and 2010, there’s been also more damage done to water due to industrialization. There is pollution on water with oil in many countries of the world. There have been continuation of communal and pirate wars. This water is distressed but it remains the point of contact and support of all life. This begot the idea of the project: Engaging Ripples (ii) for the exhibition-Global Africa Project at MAD, New York.

In the former, I explored the simple silt from the river bed while the more troubles are reflected in my use of carbon, as a result of combustion, in the later piece.