Uzo Egonu, 'Past and Present in the Diaspora'
In: Uzo Egonu: An African Artist in the West. By Olu Oguibe. London: Kala Press, 1995, p. 159.
Four years ago the thought of Christopher Columbus' voyage, which culminated in his 'discovery' of the Americas, prompted contemplation on the legacy of this discovery. Although usually a history only favours some people, nevertheless the episode may stimulate the minds of both those with opposing views and those whose interest is fulfilled by the event. The defeat of the combined Spanish and French Armada by the British Fleet may not be a welcome memory to the Spaniards and the French, yet the event may activate the minds of their scholars and artists.
Spain and Genoa may claim the glory of Christopher Columbus' voyage and the 'discovery' of the Americas - the former having facilitated his voyage, and the latter being his birth place - but people with the opposite view might say that the consequences of the legacy brought desolation and catastrophe to Africa south of the Sahara, the Incas and the Aztecs.
Although, as an artist, one is not cast in the role of a moralist, one feels, nevertheless, that this should not be a barrier to free thinking and inspiration derived from history; this should not prevent one from making a statement through one's work.
It was not the controversy, nor the sentimentalism attached to the consequence of the legacy of 'discovery' that provoked one's feelings to produce works which are inspired by that thought. What aroused one's feelings was the bewilderment of human behaviour and its contradictions. That thought was the inspiration and led to the visualisation of the event and its legacy. In reflecting upon the consequences of this legacy, a factor worth noting is that a strong will power strengthens human staying-power, and this determination is kindled by spiritual faith. To transform this thought into a picture: how can one represent spiritual strength and what metaphor befits its expression?