Precious Okoyomon's poetic language and unruly artwork • FRANCE 24 English

Key Concepts

• Fable of Openness: A narrative exploring vulnerability and light in the face of darkness.
• Geological Time: The vast timescale of Earth's history, influencing artistic perspective.
• Poetics of Living: An approach where art is an organic extension of relational life and joy.
• Relational Practice: Artmaking as an interconnected way of being and interacting with others and the world.
• Invasive Plants: Used metaphorically and literally in artwork to represent growth, disruption, and natural processes.
• Experiential Art: Art that prioritizes the viewer's engagement and feeling over ownership of a physical object.
• Gardens as Metaphor: Symbolizing change, growth, transformation, and a connection to ancestral practices.

Precious Okoyon's "It's important to have your fangs out at the end of the world" Exhibition

Precious Okoyon's latest exhibition in Paris, titled "It's important to have your fangs out at the end of the world," is described as a dark fairy tale that explores themes of beauty, decay, and impermanence. The exhibition incorporates soft toy elements alongside darker, more menacing imagery, reflecting the artist's embrace of both light and dark.

The Accompanying Fable

Okoyon has written a fable to accompany the exhibition, which serves as a cautionary tale about embracing openness amidst darkness. The fable features bears in a world designed to destroy them, whose power lies in their "constant unfolding of openness and light and mystery." This narrative highlights the interplay between light and dark, menace and innocence.

Dreams and Nightmares in Art

Okoyon views dreams, the unconscious, and nightmares as integral to their creative process. They believe that their art, including poetry and installations, often originates from dreams and fantasies, aiming to translate these into tangible forms. Many of their "gardens" are imagined spaces brought into material reality, suggesting that all their work is "a seed of my dream."

"Son of Consciousness. God blow through me. Love break me."

This recent piece, created for the São Paulo Biannual, utilizes different raw materials compared to the stuffed toys and drawings. The artwork is intrinsically linked to a poem recited by Okoyon, which was inspired by a visit to the Chapada Diamantina region in Brazil.

Inspiration from Geological Time

In Brazil, Okoyon was profoundly affected by the presence of 15-million-year-old rocks, experiencing a sense of humility before "geological time," "gravity," and "relational spirit." The poem became a way to capture this overwhelming experience, feeling as though "God was blowing through me" and being "unmade" by an "earthly wind of love." The artist observed multiple rainbows, indicating a shift into a different "cosmic time."

The Poem as a Fragment of Space

The intention behind the poem and the accompanying installation was to share a fragment of this profound experience with others. Brazil, for Okoyon, represented a "slow time of thinking through what humanity is," characterized by continuous learning, understanding, and growth. The landscape evoked a sense of being in a garden, symbolizing both beginnings and endings, where "it's time. It's light. It's slow."

Residency in São Paulo and Brazilian Culture

Okoyon recently completed a residency at the Kasa na Vila in São Paulo. They were deeply inspired by the "wild, beautiful, magic energy" of Brazil, particularly São Paulo, where nature "infringes so deeply against the materiality of the city." The artist was captivated by the juxtaposition of concrete with vibrant trees, the "harshness but yet light" of the urban environment, and the presence of "cosmic like beautiful parks and the architecture." This abundance made São Paulo feel like a perfect setting for their art.

Nigerian Artistic Heritage and Global Trajectory

Okoyon's international career is shaped by their upbringing in the UK and Nigeria, the country of their family's origin. The transcript references a Tate Modern exhibition celebrating Nigeria's modernist moment in the 20th century.

Nigerian Modernism at Tate Modern

The Tate Modern exhibition aims to showcase the diversity and richness of Nigerian artistic production. It features over 300 works, tracing Nigeria's artistic journey from colonial influence through independence. Artists like Ben Enwonwu, Twin Seven Seven, and Marina Oyewami are highlighted for blending traditional Yoruba culture with modern ideas. The exhibition challenges the notion of a singular "defined Nigerian modernism," emphasizing the universal quality of Nigerian art.

Art as Organic to Relational Life

Okoyon views their Nigerian artistic heritage as deeply intertwined with a "relational way of life" and their family. Their mother, an artist, embodies this through her interactions with others, demonstrating that art is a "poetics of living" that flows into all aspects of life, characterized by joy and abundance.

"Pre-sky emit light" for the Venice Biannual

This piece, created for the Nigerian pavilion at the Venice Biannual, centers on Lagos, Nigeria's mega-city. It features sound stories and an invasive weed.

The Role of the Invasive Plant

The weed in "Pre-sky emit light" "slowly creeps up my tower of tongues." Okoyon spent two weeks in Lagos interviewing strangers, asking profound questions designed to "make and unmake them and me together," such as "who caused the suffering of your mother?" and "How have you prepared for your death?"

An Archive of Stories and Love

These interviews formed an archive of stories, including questions about love and current affections. The collected responses were woven into a "long choreo-sonic poem" that plays on the "tower of tongues," creating a "language of love with everyone's confessionals." This piece is an "archive of understanding," born from a desire to create space for knowing people and witnessing what emerges. The collaboration with nature, by incorporating the invasive plant, is a recurring and thought-provoking element in Okoyon's work.

The Experiential Nature of Art

In the context of art fairs and the contemporary art market, where "living pieces of artwork are quite difficult... to purchase or to keep in a collection," Okoyon's work is described as "much more of an experience."

Rethinking the Art Experience

Okoyon emphasizes the importance of "openness to thinking and constantly rethinking what an art experience is." They question whether art is solely captured in curated moments or if it resides in the "wildness of our imagination and constantly having awe."

Nature as an Uncontrollable Source

For Okoyon, art involves bringing in an "uncontrollable source," with nature being a "beautiful original seed." This connection stems from their childhood, where they helped manage gardens with their mother and grandmother, seeing it as their "first love language" and a foundation for their relational practice.

Gardens as Transformational Spaces

Gardens are a natural extension of this lineage, offering a "beautiful and restful" experience of observing slow change over time. Each garden Okoyon creates "changes me and I'm changed by it in such a transformational way," and this transformation inevitably influences subsequent work. The current Paris exhibition even features a "little secret garden."

Cultural Radar: Musician Ka

Okoyon mentioned the musician Ka as being on their cultural radar, having recently appeared on Arts 24. They admire Ka's work for its "beautiful like sensuality of abundance and play that's so like nefariously delicious." Okoyon enjoys listening to Ka's music while driving, describing themselves as someone who "sing[s] in my car."

Conclusion

Precious Okoyon's artistic practice is characterized by a profound engagement with themes of impermanence, vulnerability, and the interconnectedness of life. Through fables, dreams, and direct encounters with diverse landscapes and cultures, Okoyon creates art that challenges conventional notions of experience and ownership. Their work, deeply rooted in a relational understanding of the world and inspired by natural processes and ancestral practices, invites viewers into a space of contemplation, awe, and transformation. The integration of nature, personal narratives, and a poetics of living underscores Okoyon's unique contribution to contemporary art.