"The Sacred Art of the Ori" | Laolu Senbanjo

翻译人员: Lipeng Chen 校对人员: Alec Wang

[Yoruba: Freeborn Ijebu-Ode son,]

[约鲁巴语：自由之身的Ijebu-Ode之子，]

[of true Ogbogbo Clan,]

[来自真正的Ogbogbo部落，]

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

[它的财富和资源远超欧洲，]

[whose altar is filled with gold.]

[它的神坛充满黄金。]

This chant is called the oríkì.

这首诗谣叫做oríkì。

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

当我小时候还在尼日利亚时， 我的祖母曾对我唱过它。

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

oríkì是对约鲁巴人的赞颂之歌，

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

它还特别提到西方所没有的珍宝。

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

Mama——我这么叫我的祖母——

told me many stories about Yoruba mythology.

告诉了我许多关于约鲁巴的神话故事。

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

约鲁巴人是尼日利亚西南部的 一个族群，

and I was always fascinated by these stories.

我一直对这些故事感到着迷。

I was always intrigued.

一直好奇。

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

从我还是个孩子起， 约鲁巴的文化启发了我的艺术。

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

非洲艺术不仅仅是 你在纽约的哈伦市场买到的那些。

Every artist has a name,

每名艺术家都有名有姓，

and every artist has a story.

每名艺术家都有一个故事。

This is my story.

这就是我的故事。

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

祖母的手臂和脚上有些纹身。

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

小时候，我想她生来就有纹身，

with beautiful black lines and detailed symbols.

有着美丽的黑色线条和 细致的象征图案。

And then she told me

然后她告诉我，

that they were actually symbols from the Yoruba mythology.

它们实际上是来自约鲁巴传说的图案。

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

我永远也不会知道， 这如何影响了成为艺术家的我。

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

小时候，我在每个地方都看到了艺术。

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

我想起我们住在伊洛森的 体育馆路上的房子。

We had marble floors,

我们有大理石地面，

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

我会看着大理石地面，

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

我会看到其中各种各样的 图案和设计，

and I thought everybody could see them.

而我以为每个人都会看到它们。

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

所以我叫来我哥哥， 说道：

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

“易克鲁，过来看看这些大理石的设计， 看看这些纹路，看看这些图案。”

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

他告诉我， “劳鲁，我没看到任何东西。”

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

所以我会用墨水， 在地上描出我看到的东西。

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

当我妈妈看到后， 她会变得很生气。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

But that didn't stop me.

但是这没有让我停下脚步。

I switched from ink to chalk,

我用粉笔替代了墨水，

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

因为那样老是给老师和父母带来麻烦。

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

我记得我母亲说过， “劳鲁，我们是基督徒。

Why don't you draw like other people?

为什么你不像别人那样画画？

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

为什么你不画风景， 不画椅子或家具，

or maybe even draw Jesus?"

或者画画耶稣也好？”

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

如果我有机会， 我会在整栋房子画上画，

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

但是当我长大了，我意识到成为一名艺术家 并不是个选择

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

为了满足父母对我的期望，

so I went to law school.

我去了法学院。

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

那就是我的父亲。 他那天很骄傲。

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

这是我的法学院笔记本的样子。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Of course I would miss classes,

当然，我会翘课，

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

也会给自己翘课编些理由。

But when I started working at the Human Rights Commission

但是当我开始作为人权律师

as a human rights attorney,

在人权委员会工作的时候，

my mind was elsewhere.

我的心思却在别处。

I saw a very tough reality.

我看到了一个十分残酷的事实。

I worked with children

我和那些

who had to choose between getting an education

要在接受教育和

and actually being forced into marriage.

被迫结婚之间做出选择的孩子们工作。

I was so frustrated seeing all the injustice around me,

我对身边的不公正感到非常沮丧，

and my only outlet was art,

我唯一的发泄口就是艺术，

so I started painting.

所以我开始画画。

This piece is called "Dreamscape."

这幅画叫做“幻景”。

So when you zoom into this piece,

当你放大这幅画时，

you're going to see a girl child

你会看到一个女孩，

and the accidental birth,

以及意外的生产，

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

事实上，我们的未来已由 我们在哪里出生来决定。

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

下一幅画是一个男人和一个男人 牵着手，

a woman and a woman holding hands.

一个女人和一个女人牵着手。

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

在尼日利亚， 同性关系是有罪的。

You can actually get 14 years for that.

实际上你可以被判14年的刑。

With my art, I like to tell stories.

我喜欢用我的艺术讲述故事。

Through my art, I like to start a conversation.

通过我的艺术， 我喜欢开启一段对话。

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

在这幅画中，你会看到非洲的地图，

you see the questions, you see crying,

你会看到问号，你会看到哭泣，

and there you see syringes plugged into Africa

你会看到针管插入非洲，

and the natural resources being drained out.

自然资源正在被抽取出来。

So I asked myself, where does it go?

所以我问自己，资源去哪里了？

Who benefits from all of this?

谁从中受益？

You see, with my art,

所以你看到，我的艺术，

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

我创作艺术使用的纹路，图案， 故事，

and the way I use my lines,

我描绘线条的方式，

it's all from the Yoruba culture.

都来自约鲁巴文化。

So in 2013, I made a big gamble.

在2013年，我孤注一掷。

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

我辞了职，搬到了纽约， 开始全身心投入艺术创造。

Of course, my parents were like,

当然，我的父母想着

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

“哦，他会回来的。”

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

但是在纽约， 一名艺术家的生活并不轻松，

because I was broke,

因为我很穷，

no money, no gallery agents, no representation,

没钱，没画廊经纪人， 没展出，

so no gallery would show my work.

所以没有画廊愿意做我的展览。

So I thought to myself, I need to survive.

我对自己说，我要生存下去。

So I started painting on clothes to make a living.

所以我开始在衣服上画画以维持生计。

I started painting on shoes.

我开始在鞋子上画画。

I started customizing things for people.

我开始为人们订制东西。

And then soon I realized the power,

然后很快，我意识到了那股力量，

because people were so proud to wear their stories.

因为人们把自己的故事穿在身上时， 是那么的骄傲自豪。

So I started painting on everything.

我开始在任何东西上作画。

I painted on guitars,

我在吉他上作画，

I started doing murals,

我开始绘制壁画，

anything I could find my hand on I painted,

我在任何我可以找到的东西上作画，

and everything became my canvas.

任何东西都变成了我的画布。

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

有一天，我正在刷我的Instagram，

and I saw this picture.

然后我看到了这张照片。

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

那是瑞恩。她站在我的作品前拍了张照，

and the moment I saw that photo,

我看到那张照片的瞬间，

something happened in that moment.

那一刻有些事发生了。

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

我竟能看到我的作品 进入了她的身体，又穿了出来，

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

这就是我如何开始在人体上作画。

As a child I saw art on the marble floors,

小时候我在大理石地面上看到了艺术，

I saw art on walls,

我在墙上看到了艺术，

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

但现在我在人的脸颊和人的身体上 看到了艺术。

I remember my grandmother,

我想起了我的祖母，

and I realized that most of my creative instincts

我意识到我大部分的创作灵感，

were actually based on my childhood memories

其实是基于我的童年记忆，

and the art on my grandmother's skin.

以及我祖母皮肤上的艺术。

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

现在我看着我作画的人，我想着，

what would it look like if we all walked around

要是我们都像约鲁巴神话中的

like gods and goddesses from Yoruba mythology?

天神和天女一样游走会怎么样？

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

嘣，这就是《奥日神圣艺术》的诞生。

You see, Ori in Yoruba mythology

约鲁巴神话中的奥日

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

代表了你的灵魂，代表了你的本质， 代表了你的天性。

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

我意识到只有你真正利用你的奥日，

then you can actually move mountains.

你才真正拥有洪荒之力。

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

在人体上作画是很直接的。

It's like art in motion.

就像是行动的艺术。

It's like a 3D experience.

就像是3D体验。

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

有一天，我在布鲁克林做着 日常工作，

and I got an email that said,

我收到了一封邮件，

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

“嗨，我是你的大粉丝。

Would you like to paint for my music video?

你愿意为我的音乐录影带作画吗？

Signed, Beyoncé."

署名是碧昂丝。”

Like, Beyoncé emailed me.

碧昂丝给我发了邮件。

I was like, what?

我当时就懵了，什么？

(Laughter)

（笑声）

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

我想，她怎么认识我的？

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

我想这不会是真的。 这肯定是个垃圾邮件。

The Nigerian in me was like, nah.

我身体中尼日利亚的血统告诉我， 不可能。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

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

但是令人难以置信的是， 这是真的，真的是真的，

and things happened really fast.

一切来得那么突然。

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

碧昂丝想要对新奥尔良 （枪击事件）表达她的想法，

and my art reminded her of her creole origins.

而我的作品让她想起了 她的血统起源。

So when "Lemonade" dropped, of course,

当《柠檬水》发行的时候，当然，

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

嘣，所有事情都发生的那么快。

People featured me in magazines,

我登上了杂志，

interviews.

接受了采访。

People stopped me in the street.

人们在街上拦住我。

People knew my name, like --

人们知道我的名字——

And sometimes I had to step back

有时我要退一步，

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

缓一缓，整理下思绪。

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

作为艺术家， 我们为了让自己的作品为人认可，

for our art to be recognized,

我们非常努力的工作，

and for this I feel blessed.

为此我感到十分幸运。

However, the attorney in me is still there,

但是，我身体中律师的那一部分仍在，

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

所以我用艺术来为我的信仰而战。

My Yoruba heritage is always there.

我的约鲁巴的传承仍在那儿。

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

今晚，我想和你们分享 一些行进中的艺术。

Please, welcome with me on stage.

有请上台。

(Music)

（音乐）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Now, this is Geli, and this is Reign.

这是杰丽，这是瑞恩。

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

她们是我最早作画的两个人，

and I spent the past day painting on them.

我昨天整天都在她们身上作画。

Tonight, they represent my hopes and my fears.

今晚，她们展示了我的希望和恐惧。

Now, I put my fears on the back.

我将恐惧画在背上。

I put my hopes in front.

我把希望画在前面。

What are my hopes?

我的希望是什么？

I hope that people know

我希望人们意识到

that Africa is not just one huge, nameless continent

非洲不只是一个广阔的，什么都一样的

that is all the same.

无名大洲。

I also hope that people know

我还希望人们意识到

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

在尼日利亚， 我们有超过350个民族和语言，

and I am just one artist from one of them.

而我只是他们其中的一名艺术家。

(Applause)

（掌声）

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

我还希望你们认识到， 我希望我有能力改变

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

人们谈论在那大洲上的 非洲艺术的方式，

and I hope you know that African art

我希望你们意识到非洲艺术

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

不只是你在纽约的哈伦市场 买到的东西，

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

你看到的每件艺术作品 都有一个故事，

and every artist has a name.

每位艺术家都有名有姓。

Thank you very much.

非常感谢。

(Applause)

（掌声）