"The Sacred Art of the Ori" | Laolu Senbanjo

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: DAISI CHEN

[Yoruba: Freeborn Ijebu-Ode son,]

（約魯巴語）在伊傑布奧德 自由出生的孩子，

[of true Ogbogbo Clan,]

是真正的歐柏柏氏族，

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

其財富與資源遠超過 歐洲所有的全部，

[whose altar is filled with gold.]

其聖壇金碧輝煌。

This chant is called the oríkì.

（英語）這曲吟誦叫做 oríkì。

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

我小時候在奈及利亞時， 祖母會唱给我聽。

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

Oríkì 是約魯巴人唱頌的讚美詩歌，

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

它特別會陳述西方所沒有的珍寶。

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

嬤嬤──我這樣稱呼我祖母──

told me many stories about Yoruba mythology.

她告訴我許多約魯巴的神話故事。

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

約魯巴族是奈及利亞 西南部的一個種族，

and I was always fascinated by these stories.

這些故事總能讓我入迷。

I was always intrigued.

我總會被吸引。

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

從小時候，約魯巴文化就是 我藝術創作的靈感來源。

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

非洲藝術並不只是你在 紐約哈林市集購買的東西。

Every artist has a name,

每個藝術家都有一個名字，

and every artist has a story.

每個藝術家都有一個故事。

This is my story.

這是我的故事。

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

嬤嬤的手臂上與腿上都有刺青。

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

小時候，我以她出生時就有刺青，

with beautiful black lines and detailed symbols.

就有這些漂亮的黑色 線條和精緻的符號。

And then she told me

然後她告訴我，

that they were actually symbols from the Yoruba mythology.

它們是約魯巴神話的符號。

我那時不知道，這會影響到我 現今會變成一個怎樣的藝術家。

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

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

小時候，我在哪裡都能看見藝術。

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

我記得我們在伊洛林 位於體育場路上的房子。

We had marble floors,

我們有大理石地板，

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

我會看著大理石地板，

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

我會端詳上頭的各種圖案跟圖樣，

and I thought everybody could see them.

我以為每個人都能看到。

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

所以我會找來我哥，說：

「依克魯，來看看這個大理石 圖樣，看看這圖案、這裝飾。」

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

他會說：「勞努，我什麼也沒看見。」

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

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

我就會用墨水把 我看到的紋路描出來。

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

我母親發現時，她很不高興。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But that didn't stop me.

但那並沒有阻止我。

I switched from ink to chalk,

我把墨水換成粉筆，

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

因為我時常惹怒我的老師跟父母。

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

我記得我媽媽說： 「勞努，我們是基督徒。

Why don't you draw like other people?

你為何不學其他人那樣畫畫？

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

你為何不畫風景，或者， 也許椅子或家具，

或許你可以畫耶穌呀？」

or maybe even draw Jesus?"

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

若有機會，我一定會畫滿整間屋子，

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

但，長大後，我知道 要當藝術家是不可能的，

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

所以我想成為我父母期待的那個人，

so I went to law school.

所以我去唸法學院。

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

當然，這是我的父親， 他那天好驕傲。

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

而我在法學院上課的 筆記本是這個樣子的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Of course I would miss classes,

當然，我會翹課，

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

我會找理由說明我為什麼不去上課。

But when I started working at the Human Rights Commission

但當我開始在人權委員會工作，

as a human rights attorney,

擔任人權律師，

my mind was elsewhere.

我的心卻在其他地方。

I saw a very tough reality.

我看到很艱困的現實。

I worked with children

我的工作會接觸到孩童，

who had to choose between getting an education

他們得要在接受教育

and actually being forced into marriage.

和被迫結婚之間擇一。

I was so frustrated seeing all the injustice around me,

看到身邊這麼多不公平， 讓我感到挫折，

and my only outlet was art,

我唯一的出口就是藝術，

so I started painting.

所以我開始畫畫。

This piece is called "Dreamscape."

這件作品叫做「夢景」。

So when you zoom into this piece,

當你放大看這件作品，

you're going to see a girl child

會看到一個小女孩，

and the accidental birth,

與意外的出生，

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

我們的未來由我們的出生地所掌控。

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

下一個會看到的是兩個男人手牽手，

a woman and a woman holding hands.

兩個女人手牽手。

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

在奈及利亞，同性關係被視為犯罪。

You can actually get 14 years for that.

可能因此被判 14 年徒刑。

With my art, I like to tell stories.

我想藉由藝術來說故事。

Through my art, I like to start a conversation.

我想藉由藝術來開啟對話。

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

在這件作品上可以看到非洲地圖，

you see the questions, you see crying,

可以看到問號，看到哭泣，

and there you see syringes plugged into Africa

在那裡有注射器插入非洲，

and the natural resources being drained out.

自然資源被抽光。

So I asked myself, where does it go?

我問我自己：這條路通往哪裡？

Who benefits from all of this?

誰能從中受益？

You see, with my art,

透過我的藝術，

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

我用圖案、裝飾，與故事 來編織我的藝術的方式，

and the way I use my lines,

及我運用線條的方式，

it's all from the Yoruba culture.

全都源自約魯巴文化。

So in 2013, I made a big gamble.

在 2013 年，我下了個大賭注。

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

我辭了工作、搬到紐約市， 全職去做藝術工作。

Of course, my parents were like,

當然，我父母說：

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

「喔，這只是個過程，他會回來的。」

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

但在紐約，藝術家的日子並不好過，

because I was broke,

因為我破產了，

no money, no gallery agents, no representation,

沒有錢、沒有畫廊經紀人、沒有代表，

so no gallery would show my work.

所以沒有畫廊肯展出我的作品。

So I thought to myself, I need to survive.

我心想，我得要生存下去。

So I started painting on clothes to make a living.

所以，我開始在衣服上畫畫來維生。

I started painting on shoes.

我開始在鞋子上畫畫。

I started customizing things for people.

我開始為顧客做客製化商品。

And then soon I realized the power,

很快地，我了解了這種力量，

because people were so proud to wear their stories.

因為能把自己的故事 穿在身上是很令人驕傲的事。

So I started painting on everything.

所以我開始在各種東西上畫畫。

I painted on guitars,

我在吉他上畫畫，

I started doing murals,

我開始畫壁畫，

anything I could find my hand on I painted,

我在任何我能接觸到的東西上畫畫，

and everything became my canvas.

什麼都能成為我的畫布。

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

有一天，我正在看我的 Instagram，

and I saw this picture.

我看到了這張照片。

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

那是蕾。她站在我的畫前拍照，

and the moment I saw that photo,

我看到這張照片的那一刻， 有某種現象發生了。

something happened in that moment.

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

我看到我的藝術作品 進入她，再從她出來，

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

我就這麼開始了人體彩繪。

As a child I saw art on the marble floors,

小時候，我在大理石 地板上看見藝術，

I saw art on walls,

我在牆上看見藝術，

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

現在，我在人的臉上 與身體上看見藝術。

I remember my grandmother,

我想起我的祖母，

and I realized that most of my creative instincts

我才發現，我大多數的創意直覺

were actually based on my childhood memories

其實都奠基於我兒時的回憶，

and the art on my grandmother's skin.

及我祖母皮膚上的藝術。

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

現在，我看著被我彩繪的人，心想：

如果我們都像約魯巴 神話中的男神和女神一樣，

what would it look like if we all walked around

like gods and goddesses from Yoruba mythology?

到處走來走去，會是什麼樣子？

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

於是，「讚頌的神聖藝術」 就這麼誕生了。

You see, Ori in Yoruba mythology

在約魯巴神話中，

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

讚頌意味著你的靈魂、 你的本質、你的直覺。

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

我了解到，只有 當你去發掘你的讚頌，

then you can actually move mountains.

你才會可能移動山岳。

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

人體創作藝術有種當下的特性。

It's like art in motion.

就像是在動的藝術。

It's like a 3D experience.

就像是 3D 的體驗，

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

有一天，我一如往常 在布魯克林工作，

and I got an email that said,

我收到一封信，寫著：

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

「嗨，我很迷你的作品。

Would you like to paint for my music video?

你願意為我的音樂錄影帶作畫嗎？

Signed, Beyoncé."

署名：碧昂絲。」

Like, Beyoncé emailed me.

碧昂絲寫信給我，

I was like, what?

我的反應是，什麼？！

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

我在想，她怎麼可能知道我？

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

當然我不認為這是真的，一定是騙局。

我的奈及利亞魂告訴我，不可能。

The Nigerian in me was like, nah.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

但很不可思議，結果那是真的。

and things happened really fast.

事情發生得很快。

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

碧昂絲希望向紐奧良致敬，

and my art reminded her of her creole origins.

而我的藝術讓她想到 她的克里奧爾血統。

So when "Lemonade" dropped, of course,

所以，當「檸檬特調」專輯推出，

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

一切馬上從 0 飆到 100。

People featured me in magazines,

雜誌主打我的故事，

interviews.

訪談。

People stopped me in the street.

在街上有人攔下我。

People knew my name, like --

人們知道我的名字──

And sometimes I had to step back

有時我得退一步，

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

冷靜一下，再接收這一切。

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

身為藝術家，我們一輩子都在

for our art to be recognized,

努力讓自己的藝術能被認同，

and for this I feel blessed.

在這方面我很幸運。

However, the attorney in me is still there,

然而，我體內仍然有著律師魂，

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

所以，我用我的藝術 來為我的信念而戰。

My Yoruba heritage is always there.

我的約魯巴傳統遺產一直都在。

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

今晚我想與各位分享 我的一些動態藝術作品。

Please, welcome with me on stage.

請與我一起歡迎她們上台。

(Music)

（音樂）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now, this is Geli, and this is Reign.

這位是婕莉，這位是蕾。

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

她們是我人生中最早彩繪的兩個人，

and I spent the past day painting on them.

我昨天一整天都在畫她們。

Tonight, they represent my hopes and my fears.

今晚，她們代表 我的希望及我的恐懼。

Now, I put my fears on the back.

我把我的恐懼放在背後。

I put my hopes in front.

我把我的希望放在前面。

What are my hopes?

我的希望是什麼？

I hope that people know

我希望大家能知道，

that Africa is not just one huge, nameless continent

非洲不只是一塊巨大的無名大陸，

that is all the same.

且到處都一樣。

I also hope that people know

我也希望大家能知道，

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

在奈及利亞，我們有 超過 350 個種族和語言，

and I am just one artist from one of them.

而我只是來自其中 一個種族的一個藝術家。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

我還希望各位了解， 我期待我能夠改變

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

大家談論非洲藝術時的方式， 包括在非洲及在這裡，

and I hope you know that African art

我希望各位知道，非洲藝術

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

不只是在紐約哈林市集 能買到的東西而已，

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

每件藝術品都有一個故事，

and every artist has a name.

每個藝術家都有一個名字。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）