Creative Shapes in Obatala's Diary II 2006

Curator: Twins Seven Seven, born Omoba Taiwo Olaniyi Oyewale-Toyeje Ojubolatoye, created this piece titled "Creative Shapes in Obatala's Diary II" in 2006 using mixed media. It is an intricate, visually rich work. Editor: My first impression is of a meticulously crafted grid, a matrix of small worlds teeming with life and, honestly, a touch of whimsy. I'm curious about the materials and the labor involved. Curator: Absolutely. Obatala, one of the key deities in Yoruba cosmology, is considered the father of all other Orishas, embodying purity and creation. This artwork appears as a visual diary documenting elements associated to the Orisha. It weaves in ancestral narratives using the shapes and the pattern to speak to continuity, identity, and spirituality. Editor: The regular structure overlaid with varied illustrations does pose interesting questions. Each cell seems painstakingly rendered – I’m thinking of the kind of concentration this would require – suggesting a slow and deliberate process, perhaps contrasting the speed of mass production. What is the impact of using the title “diary” for such a complex symbolic map? Curator: Precisely! Each tile acts as a memory, a fragment of the Obatala’s legacy rendered visible. The abstract patterns evoke a dreamlike quality that speaks to deeper psychological spaces within the cosmology. Editor: The juxtaposition of the abstract patterns within the rigorous structure also makes me think about textiles or some form of traditional craft passed on from one generation to another, or the way technology informs design. Curator: Exactly. Those small narratives are contained within a structure suggesting they build collectively on each other, evoking oral traditions passed from generation to generation. There's an interweaving of the geometric and the organic creating a powerful visual language. Editor: Knowing this piece as mixed media also begs to question its durability. Given the spiritual context, are we looking at something designed to endure versus a daily recording of thoughts, for example, using simple, humble materials. Curator: Interesting reflection indeed. The materials do contribute to the layering of meaning. Even though "diary" implies ephemerality, these shapes carry echoes of a timeless spiritual narrative, offering both a momentary snapshot and a durable cultural echo. Editor: Reflecting on materiality in relationship to this "diary", and bearing in mind that mixed media involves time, resources and accessibility, perhaps it suggests both cultural affirmation and socio-political access at the time of production? Curator: I’m left thinking how Twins Seven Seven masterfully combines the personal and the cosmological through an intricate artistic construction that invites endless reading of interconnected symbolic and historical meaning.