"The Sacred Art of the Ori" | Laolu Senbanjo

Prevodilac: Mirjana Čutura Lektor: Tijana Mihajlović

[Yoruba: Freeborn Ijebu-Ode son,]

(Joruba) Rođen slobodan, sin Idžebu-Ode,

[of true Ogbogbo Clan,]

od pravog klana Ogbogbo,

[whose wealth and resources surpass all that Europe ever had,]

čije bogatstvo i sredstva nadmašuju sve što je Evropa ikada imala,

[whose altar is filled with gold.]

čiji je oltar ispunjen zlatom.

This chant is called the oríkì.

Ova pesma se zove oriki.

My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was a child in Nigeria.

Moja baka mi ju je pevala kada sam bio dete u Nigeriji.

See, an oríkì is the song of praise of the Yoruba people,

Vidite, oriki je hvalospev jorupskog naroda,

and this particularly speaks of treasures that the West does not have.

a ovaj osobito govori o bogatstvima koja Zapad nema.

Mama -- that's what I call my grandmother --

Mama - tako zovem svoju baku -

told me many stories about Yoruba mythology.

mi je ispričala mnogo priča o jorupskoj mitologiji.

You see, the Yorubas are an ethnic group from the southwestern part of Nigeria,

Vidite, Jorube su etnička grupa iz jugozapadnog dela Nigerije,

and I was always fascinated by these stories.

a ja sam uvek bio opčinjen ovim pričama.

I was always intrigued.

Uvek sam bio zaintrigiran.

And Yoruba culture has inspired my art since I was a child.

Jorupska kultura inspiriše moju umetnost otkada sam bio dete.

You see, African art is not just what you buy at Harlem markets in New York.

Afrička umetnost nije samo ono što kupujete

na pijacama u Harlemu u Njujorku.

Every artist has a name,

Svaki umetnik ima ime

and every artist has a story.

i svaki umetnik ima priču.

This is my story.

Ovo je moja priča.

See, mama had tattoos on her arms and her legs.

Vidite, mama je imala tetovaže na rukama i nogama.

As a child, I thought she was born with them,

Kao dete, mislio sam da je bila rođena sa njima,

with beautiful black lines and detailed symbols.

sa lepim crnim linijama i detaljnim simbolima.

And then she told me

I onda mi je rekla

that they were actually symbols from the Yoruba mythology.

da su oni, u stvari, simboli iz jorupske mitologije.

I never knew how this was going to influence the artist that I am today.

Nisam ni znao kako će ovo uticati na umetnika koji sam danas postao.

You see, as a young child, I saw art everywhere.

Vidite, kao dete, svugde sam video umetnost.

I remember the house we lived in in Ilorin, in Stadium Road.

Sećam se kuće u kojoj smo živeli na putu Stadion u Ilorinu.

We had marble floors,

Imali smo mermerne podove

and you know, I would look at the marble floors,

i, znate, gledao bih te mermerne podove,

and I would see all sorts of patterns and designs in it,

video bih razne vrste šara i dezena na njima

i mislio sam da su svi mogli da ih vide.

and I thought everybody could see them.

Pozvao bih svog brata i rekao bih mu:

So I would call my brother, and I would be like,

„Ikeolu, dođi da vidiš ovaj dezen na mermeru, ovu šaru i ovu masku.“

"Ikeolu, come and see this marble design, see this pattern, see this mask."

A on bi mi rekao: „Laolu, ja ništa ne vidim.“

And he would tell me, "Laolu, I don't see anything."

Koristio bih mastilo i iscrtavao bih ono što sam video na podu,

So I would use ink, and I would trace out what I saw on the floor.

And then when my mom noticed, she got really upset.

ali kada je moja mama to primetila, veoma se uznemirila.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

But that didn't stop me.

Ali, to me nije zaustavilo.

I switched from ink to chalk,

Zamenio sam mastilo kredom

because I got in trouble a lot with my teachers and my parents.

jer sam često upadao u nevolje sa nastavnicima i roditeljima.

So I remember my mom said, "Laolu, we are Christians.

Sećam se da je moja mama rekla: „Laolu, mi smo hrišćani.

Why don't you draw like other people?

Zašto ne crtaš kao drugi ljudi?

Why don't you draw landscapes or maybe you draw chairs or furniture,

Zašto ne crtaš pejzaže, ili bi možda mogao da crtaš stolicu ili nameštaj,

or maybe even draw Jesus?"

ili možda čak Isusa?“

Znate, mogao sam naslikati celu kuću da sam imao priliku,

You know, I could paint the whole house if I had a chance,

but when I grew up, I knew being an artist was not an option,

ali kada sam odrastao, znao sam da biti umetnik nije bila opcija,

so I wanted to be the person my parents wanted me to be,

pa sam želeo da budem ono što su moji roditelji želeli da budem

so I went to law school.

i studirao sam pravo.

Of course, that's my dad there. He was so proud that day.

Naravno, to je moj tata. Bio je tako ponosan tog dana.

And this was what my notebooks looked like in law school.

A ovako su moje sveske izgledale na pravnom fakultetu.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Of course I would miss classes,

Naravno, izostajao bih sa nastave

and I would make up excuses why I wasn't going to class.

i izmišljao bih izgovore zašto nisam išao na časove.

But when I started working at the Human Rights Commission

Ali, kada sam počeo da radim u Komisiji za ljudska prava

as a human rights attorney,

kao advokat za ljudska prava, moje misli su bile drugde.

my mind was elsewhere.

I saw a very tough reality.

Video sam veoma surovu stvarnost.

I worked with children

Radio sam sa decom

koja su morala da biraju između školovanja

who had to choose between getting an education

and actually being forced into marriage.

ili da budu prisiljena da se venčaju.

I was so frustrated seeing all the injustice around me,

Bio sam toliko frustriran videvši svu tu nepravdu oko sebe

and my only outlet was art,

i moj jedini ventil je bila umetnost, pa sam počeo da slikam.

so I started painting.

This piece is called "Dreamscape."

Ova slika se zove „Beg u snove“.

So when you zoom into this piece,

Kada izbliza pogledate ovu sliku,

you're going to see a girl child

videćete devojčicu

and the accidental birth,

i slučajno poreklo,

the fact that our future is controlled by where we are born.

činjenicu da je naša budućnost određena mestom rođenja.

Now, the next one you see a man and a man holding hands,

Na sledećoj vidite dva muškarca koja se drže za ruke,

a woman and a woman holding hands.

dve žene koje se drže za ruke.

You see, in Nigeria, same-sex relationship is criminalized.

Vidite, u Nigeriji, veza sa osobom istog pola je krivično delo.

You can actually get 14 years for that.

Možete, u stvari, dobiti 14 godina zatvora za to.

With my art, I like to tell stories.

Svojom umetnošću volim da pričam priče.

Through my art, I like to start a conversation.

Kroz svoju umetnost volim da započnem razgovor.

So in this one, you see the map of Africa,

Na ovoj slici vidite mapu Afrike,

you see the questions, you see crying,

vidite pitanja, vidite plakanje,

and there you see syringes plugged into Africa

i tamo vidite špriceve zabodene u Afriku

i prirodna bogatstva koja se iscrpljuju.

and the natural resources being drained out.

So I asked myself, where does it go?

Pitao sam se: „Gde odlaze?

Who benefits from all of this?

Ko ima korist od svega ovoga?“

You see, with my art,

Vidite, moja umetnost,

the way I weave my art around the patterns, the masks, the stories,

način na koji tkam svoju umetnost oko šara, maski, priča,

and the way I use my lines,

i koristim linije -

it's all from the Yoruba culture.

sve je to iz jorupske kulture.

So in 2013, I made a big gamble.

Godine 2013. sam rizikovao.

I quit my job and I moved to New York City to practice art full time.

Dao sam otkaz i preselio se u Njujork da se u potpunosti posvetim umetnosti.

Of course, my parents were like,

Naravno, moji roditelji su rekli:

"Oh, [it's just a phase.] He'll come back."

(Joruba) „To je samo faza. Vratiće se.“

But life as an artist in New York was not easy,

Međutim, život umetnika u Njujorku nije bio lak

because I was broke,

jer sam bio bez prebijene pare,

no money, no gallery agents, no representation,

bez novca, bez galerijskih agenata, bez zastupnika,

so no gallery would show my work.

pa galerije nisu bile zainteresovane.

So I thought to myself, I need to survive.

Pomislio sam u sebi - moram da preživim.

So I started painting on clothes to make a living.

Počeo sam da oslikavam odeću da zaradim za život.

I started painting on shoes.

Počeo sam da oslikavam obuću.

I started customizing things for people.

Počeo sam da radim po narudžbini

And then soon I realized the power,

i uskoro sam stekao moć

because people were so proud to wear their stories.

jer su ljudi bili toliko ponosni da nose svoje priče.

So I started painting on everything.

Počeo sam sve da oslikavam.

I painted on guitars,

Oslikavao sam gitare, počeo sam da radim murale,

I started doing murals,

anything I could find my hand on I painted,

oslikavao sam sve što mi je palo pod ruke i sve je postalo moje platno.

and everything became my canvas.

So one day, I was just going on my Instagram feed,

Tako sam jednog dana samo proveravao svoj Instagram

i video sam ovu fotografiju.

and I saw this picture.

It was Reign. She took a picture standing in front my art,

Bila je to Rejn.

Fotografisala se stojeći ispred moje slike,

and the moment I saw that photo,

i kada sam video tu fotografiju,

something happened in that moment.

nešto se dogodilo.

Mogao sam zapravo videti

I could actually see my artwork go into her and come out of her literally,

kako moje umetničko delo bukvalno ulazi i izlazi iz nje,

and that's how I started painting on human bodies.

i tako sam počeo da oslikavam ljudska tela.

As a child I saw art on the marble floors,

Kao dete, video sam umetnost na mermernim podovima,

I saw art on walls,

video sam umetnost na zidovima,

but now I see art on people's faces and people's bodies.

ali sada vidim umetnost na licima i telima ljudi.

I remember my grandmother,

Sećam se svoje bake

and I realized that most of my creative instincts

i shvatio sam da je većina mojih kreativnih poriva

were actually based on my childhood memories

u stvari zasnovana na mojim uspomenama iz detinjstva

and the art on my grandmother's skin.

i na umetnosti na bakinoj koži.

Sada gledam sve ljude koje sam oslikao i pomislim u sebi

Now I look at all the people I painted, and I think to myself, like,

kako bi bilo ako bismo svi hodali unaokolo

what would it look like if we all walked around

kao bogovi i boginje iz jorupske mitologije.

like gods and goddesses from Yoruba mythology?

And boom, that's how The Sacred Art of the Ori was born.

I bum, tako je rođena „Sveta umetnost ori“.

You see, Ori in Yoruba mythology

Vidite, „ori“ u jorupskoj mitologiji označava vašu dušu, suštinu i porive.

means your soul, it means your essence, it means your instincts.

Shvatio sam da jedino ako osluškujete svoj „ori“,

And I realized that only when you tap into your Ori,

then you can actually move mountains.

možete, u stvari, stvoriti čuda.

So there's something so immediate about painting on human bodies.

Postoji nešto tako neposredno u oslikavanju ljudskih tela.

It's like art in motion.

To je kao umetnost u pokretu.

It's like a 3D experience.

To je kao trodimenzionalno iskustvo.

So one day, I was just doing my regular work in Brooklyn,

Tako sam jednog dana radio kao i obično u Bruklinu

and I got an email that said,

i dobio sam imejl koji je glasio:

"Hi, I'm a big fan of your work.

„Zdravo, veliki sam obožavalac tvog rada.

Would you like to paint for my music video?

Da li bi želeo da slikaš za moj novi spot?“

Signed, Beyoncé."

U potpisu - Bijonse.

Like, Beyoncé emailed me.

Bijonse mi je poslala imejl.

I was like, what?

Pomislio sam: „Šta?“

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

Pomislio sam: „Kako je, uopšte, znala za mene?

I was like, what, how did she even know me?

I thought this can't be true. Of course I thought it was a scam.

Ovo ne može biti istina. Mora da je prevara.“

Nigerijac u meni je pomislio - jok.

The Nigerian in me was like, nah.

(Laughter)

(Smeh)

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

But incredibly enough, it was real, it was true,

Iako neverovatno, bilo je stvarno, bilo je istinito,

and things happened really fast.

i sve se dogodilo veoma brzo.

Vidite, Bijonse je želela da oda poštu Nju Orleansu

You see, Beyoncé wanted to pay homage to New Orleans,

and my art reminded her of her creole origins.

i moja umetnost ju je podsetila na njeno kreosko poreklo.

So when "Lemonade" dropped, of course,

Kada je album „Limunada“ objavljen,

naravno, bum, sve se ubrzalo od 0 do 100 veoma brzo.

boom, everything just went from zero to 100 real fast.

People featured me in magazines,

Postao sam glavna zvezda u časopisima i intervjuima.

interviews.

People stopped me in the street.

Ljudi su me zaustavljali na ulici. Ljudi su znali moje ime.

People knew my name, like --

And sometimes I had to step back

Nekada sam morao da se povučem

and just chill, and, like, take everything in.

i samo da se opustim i razmislim o svemu.

You know, as artists, we work so hard all our lives

Kao umetnici, radimo toliko naporno ceo svoj život

for our art to be recognized,

da bi naša umetnost bila priznata, i zato se osećam blagosloveno.

and for this I feel blessed.

However, the attorney in me is still there,

Ipak, advokat je još uvek u meni,

so I use my art to fight for what I believe in.

tako da koristim svoju umetnost da se borim za ono u šta verujem.

My Yoruba heritage is always there.

Moje jorupsko nasleđe je uvek tu.

I'd like to share with you tonight some of my art in motion.

Voleo bih da večeras podelim sa vama deo svoje umetnosti u pokretu.

Please, welcome with me on stage.

Molim vas, dobrodošle na binu sa mnom.

(Music)

(Muzika)

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

Now, this is Geli, and this is Reign.

Ovo je Dželi, a ovo je Rejn.

These are the first two people I ever painted in my life,

One su prvo dvoje ljudi koje sam ikada oslikao u svom životu,

and I spent the past day painting on them.

i proveo sam jučerašnji dan oslikavajući ih.

Tonight, they represent my hopes and my fears.

Večeras one predstavljaju moje nade i moje strahove.

Now, I put my fears on the back.

Stavio sam svoje strahove na leđa.

[Nasilje, rasizam, neznaje, neuspeh, seksizam]

I put my hopes in front.

Stavio sam svoje nade napred.

[Sloboda, ljubav]

What are my hopes?

Koje su moje nade?

I hope that people know

Nadam se da ljudi znaju

that Africa is not just one huge, nameless continent

da Afrika nije samo jedan ogroman bezimeni kontinent

that is all the same.

koji je u potpunosti isti.

I also hope that people know

Takođe se nadam da ljudi znaju

that in Nigeria, we have over 350 ethnic groups and languages,

da u Nigeriji imamo preko 350 etničkih grupa i jezika

and I am just one artist from one of them.

i da sam ja samo jedan umetnik iz jedne od njih.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)

I also hope that you know that I hope I will be able to change

Takođe se nadam da znate da se nadam da ću uspeti da promenim

the way people talk about African art on the continent and here,

način na koji ljudi pričaju o afričkoj umetnosti na kontinentu i ovde

and I hope you know that African art

i nadam se da znate da afrička umetnost nije samo ono što kupujete

is not just what you buy at Harlem markets in New York

na pijacama u Harlemu u Njujorku

and that every piece of art you see has a story,

i da svako umetničko delo koje vidite ima priču,

and every artist has a name.

i da svaki umetnik ima ime.

Thank you very much.

Hvala vam puno.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)