Oyeku. 2018. 3 mins. 12 sec. video. color. music. Paper Planes by Daisuke Tenable.
Oyeku Is A Metaphysical Principle In The Divinatory Systems of Ifa from West Africa. Oyeku Is The End Of A Cycle. These Cycles Are All Varied And Exist In All Spheres Of Life And Death Simultaneously. I Created This Work As An Installation By Way Of Incorporating The Idea Towards The End Of Suffering For All People Of The African Diaspora Especially, The African American. This Video/Installation Is Also A Prayer Toward New Beginnings And Peace.
As An Installation Here Is The Format (Please See Graph At The End of Page). The Video Is Shown Upon The West Wall Onto A Circular Black Projection Screen And Reflected Onto Another Circular Black Acrylic Surface (Black Mirror) That Reflects What Is Projected From The West Wall. Below The “Black Mirror” On The East Wall Is A Light Box The Illumines The Mirror With A Mysterious Bluish White Hue Thus, Creating An Eclipse. On The East Wall Along Both Sides Of The Mirror Are Thick Knotted White Cords Representing Tying And Coding In Another Space And Time, Unknown.
The Intention Of This Format: The Black Mirror Is To Reflect Not Just The Video But The Viewer. The Viewer Becomes An Active/A Present Participant In The Video Regardless Of Race, Gender, Creed,Education Or Language. Oyeku Is An Open And Abstract Offering To The Viewer That Is Their Own Understanding And Feelings As Well As Their Unconscious Or Conscious Contribution.
New Suns. Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht.
Https://Www.bonnefanten.nl/En/Exhibitions/Kahlil-Joseph-New-Suns
Music: "Paper Planes" By Daisuke Tenable
Oyeku is an elision of the phrase 0 yeye iku meaning, Spirit of the Mother of Death. In simple terms Oyeku is darkness, the complete contraction of matter into what physics calls a black hole. In human terms this can mean physical death. More commonly it refers to the end of a cycle. When a baby is born there is an end of the cycle of living in the womb. When a teenage becomes an adult there is an end of the cycle of dependency on the parents. In Ifá the end of life on earth marks the beginning of life in the realm of the ancestors (Orun). The Yoruba word for black is dudu and is associated with Oyeku as a symbol for the invisible dimension, the Source of Creation. Oyeku as the end of cycle can bring a blessing of peace. In it’s negative manifestation, Oyeku represents a premature ending of a cycle that may not result in full maturity or benefit.
KEY PHRASE: Oyeku creates and end to a cycle.
Teachings from Awo Falokun
The title of my work is Oyeku. Oyeku is a metaphysical principle in Ifa that means the end of a cycle. These cycles are all varied and exist in all spheres of life and death simultaneously. I created this work as an installation by way of incorporating the idea towards the end of suffering for all people of the African diaspora especially, the African American. This video/installation is also a prayer toward new beginnings and peace.
As an installation here is the format: The video is shown upon the west wall onto a circular black projection screen and reflected onto another circular black acrylic surface (black mirror) that reflects what is projected from the west wall. Below the “black mirror” on the east wall is a light box the illumines the mirror with a mysterious bluish white hue thus, creating an eclipse. On the east wall along both sides of the mirror are thick knotted white cords representing tying and coding in another space and time, unknown.
The intention of this format i.e. the black mirror is to reflect not just the video but the viewer. The viewer becomes an active/a present participant in the video regardless of race, gender, creed,education or language. Oyeku is an open and abstract offering to the viewer that is their own understanding and feelings as well as their unconscious or conscious contribution.
New Suns. Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht.
https://www.bonnefanten.nl/en/exhibitions/kahlil-joseph-new-suns
music: "paper planes" by daisuke tenable