VIEW IN MY ROOM
United Kingdom
Drawing, Ballpoint Pen on Paper
Size: 33.1 W x 46.9 H x 0 D in
Ships in a Box
Shipping included
14-day satisfaction guarantee
Artist Recognition
Artist featured in a collection
‘Salone’ is a colloquial term for Sierra Leone. This diptych portrays the great pioneering tribal leaders of Sierra Leone from the 16th & 17th century; whilst contrasting them with the condemned leaders of the rebel army that led to a decade of atrocities during the Sierra Leone civil war. Within this quasi-surrealist self portrait diptych, I have recreated two ‘coat of arms’ which embody notions of pride & prosperity with that of corruption & discord. I have adopted the attire of what a rebel leader typically would have worn and a suit with a disingenuous smile in the role of Charles Taylor, the former Liberia president who played a crucial role in supporting the rebels. The burnt frame is symbolic of the destruction the rebel forces inflicted upon f the population. Lions usually act as motifs of strength and courage, they are integral in the Sierra coat of arms - but this lion is cowardly and deceptive, the three flames in the foreground are emblematic of hope for the nation’s future. Usually former British colonies are considered in relation to a period of time relative to their colonisation, with the pre-colonial history disregarded. Within this self portrait, I assume the attire of two figures who contributed to the development of Sierra Leone in the 16th and 17th century respectively, Farma Tami and Mansa Kama. Farma Tami founded the Temne tribe, of which my family are descendants of, in the mid 16th century. He was known as The Great Mane Conqueror. He was one of the leaders of the Mane invaders in the early 1500s. Mansa Kama was known as a Great Koranko Warrior and was for all intents and purposes a king of his people. The ornate frame holds within it a majestic lion with zigzag lines in the background representative of the Lion Mountains, where the name Sierra Leone originates. This ballpoint pen artwork is drawn on pages from a 1954 Sierra Leonean text. 84X59cm each
Multi-paneled Drawing:Ballpoint Pen on Paper
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:33.1 W x 46.9 H x 0 D in
Number of Panels:2
Frame:Black
Ready to Hang:Yes
Packaging:Ships in a Box
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
Handling:Ships in a box. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines.
Ships From:United Kingdom.
Customs:Shipments from United Kingdom may experience delays due to country's regulations for exporting valuable artworks.
Have additional questions?
Please visit our help section or contact us.
United Kingdom
My practice looks to empower often marginalised minorities through the exploration of identity within portraiture. Confronting socio-political issues within my drawings can act as a catalyst for a discourse regarding the perception of various demographics as being of lesser humanistic value. Specifically, with the disenfranchised often being undermined by mainstream media; somewhat paradoxically reflecting an archaic hierarchy of status, similar to colonial ideologies. Using antique texts and maps as the canvases for my works enables me to pragmatically re-contextualise ephemera, creating a cohesion between the concepts informing the work and the aesthetic output. As I empower various figures; I simultaneously do so with the ground used, presenting them within new contexts. Placing myself or family members as the subjects of my portraits evokes a sense of immediacy, apropos to navigating the intersection of my western upbringing and familial west African culture. Informed by my Sierra Leonean and Lebanese heritage, I am conscious of representing figures that have historically been conspicuously omitted from traditional British portraiture. I call upon anecdotal references to portray scenes that are occasionally quasi surrealist representations; confronting lingering ethnocentrisms that are still embedded within modern western society. I employ delicate mark making techniques with precise strokes of the everyday ballpoint pen. This process is influenced by sketches from the high renaissance. I meticulously build layers of tonality leading to an element of photorealism. Through an almost contradictory process of using this relatively modern art medium with a classical approach to mark making: I look to celebrate authentic drawing within the digital age. At the core of my practice, I depict motifs that contradict largely accepted revisionist narratives apropos to West African Histories. The portraits investigate how identity can be constructed by historical oppression, with semblances of antiquated ideologies at the root of nuanced prejudices that I have personally experienced. Ultimately, my work looks to embolden individuals that feel as though they have been labelled as the ‘other’ in any manifestation. In March 2022 I was elected as a member of The Royal Society of British Artists.
Artist featured by Saatchi Art in a collection
Thousands Of Five-Star Reviews
We deliver world-class customer service to all of our art buyers.
Global Selection
Explore an unparalleled artwork selection by artists from around the world.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Our 14-day satisfaction guarantee allows you to buy with confidence.
Support An Artist With Every Purchase
We pay our artists more on every sale than other galleries.
Need More Help?