Painting for me is an experience, where we learn every day and unlearn what we’ve learnt, and also as a portal to connect to the past, present & future. I was inspired to create this piece when I came across an old poem, “AMBUSH” By Gbemisola Adeoti, the first stanza
“ The land is a giant whale“
That’s sallows the sinker,
with hook, line, and bait
aborting dreams of a good catch
fishers turn home at dusk
Blue Peter on empty ships
all Peters with petered out desires.
I never understood this poem until now. As a grown-up man, I never knew that the most luxurious gift we had as humans was “ Time “. Time is evanescent; it’s like a star that fades into oblivion. For me, the cracks on the walls of a building and the rust on the roof sheets of a building tell us more of how time has passed, because buildings are silent and unnoticed witnesses of time. You know you can go back to the past, but it’s empty now. For example, visiting our grandparents’ house during holidays: we would spend time with our cousins and siblings. The house would be filled with all the family members; we talked and chatted with each other—such beautiful moments.
We never knew that time was temporary. Now, we’ve outgrown one another, caught up in so many different things. Cousins barely speak anymore; everyone is busy chasing their dreams and careers. It’s as if we are on a relentless race of life. (Just as the poem says)
Our grandparents’ house still stands, a house that was once filled with laughter every holiday, but once they pass away, everyone departs. The house is empty, covered with cracks on the walls, with bushes growing in the back, and the roof is becoming fragile and worn out.
The past is a place, and the present is where life happens.
Shipping Procedure
Ships in a well-protected tube.
This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy.
Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.
About Artist
Akinsemoyin Basit ( b.1999 ) is a Lagos-based Visual Artist working across oil colour, water colour, and acrylic. Born and raised in Lagos, Olumide draws inspiration from cool, calm, and atmospheric colours, infusing my art with a unique blend of modernity and heritage.
A graduate of Visual Art and a B. A ( Bachelor’s Degree ) holder from the University of Lagos, his practice focuses on landscapes, capturing beautiful and ecstatic views of places in Lagos. As an emerging contemporary artist, my works explore more on time, and how time is an evanescent gift, so I focus on ancestral homes and Makoko ghetto buildings, whose weathered materials speak of time accumulation.
