Moses Afeso
Born in Lagos, on 28th of July 1975,Moses Afeso hails from a rocky village called Ososo in the northern part of Edo State, Akoko Edo Local Government Area to be precise. He graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi Edo State, Nigeria with a Higher National Diploma (H.N.D) in sculpture in the year 2002. He also has a Certificate in German Language from Goethe Institute Victoria Island, Lagos. Afterwards, he proceeded for Masters Degree in Fine Art (MFA) sculpture at the University of Benin, Benin-City, Nigeria. He concluded that program in 2009.
Between 2003/2004, he was an Art Instructor in the Department of Fine Art, Federal College of Education Yola, Adamawa State, as a Youth Corper. He executed a metal relief project (a back-lit steel decorative panel, installed in the lobby of Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi Lagos) in 2009.
After his masters programme, Afeso Moses did a joint community project of a monumental sculpture with Professor John Oghene, at Ulemo in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State. He was invited by the Bruce Onabrakpeya Foundation to facilitate the stone carving section at the 18th /19th Harmattan Workshops, Agbarha-Otor, Delta State, Nigeria, in 2016/2017. He currently lectures at Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu Lagos.
His works are in private collections in Nigeria, USA, UK, and Germany. He has featured also in several group exhibitions and workshops.
He is a member of:
- Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) Lagos State Chapter.
- Visual Art Society of Nigeria (V.A.S.O.N)
- Arts Council of the African Studies Association (A.C.A.S.A), USA
- International Stone League Nigeria (I.S.LN)
- African Art Resource Centre (A.A.R.C), Lagos, Nigeria.
Title: Ayekooto
Medium: Steatite and Metal
Size: 56 x 30 26 cm (22 x 12 x 10 inches)
Year: 2010
Ayekooto is the Yoruba name for a popular bird known as Parrot. Ayekooto, as we know is an intelligent, honest and colourful bird. By its intelligent nature, the bird is able to observe its environment and in its way relate events that had occurred in its owner’s absence. This possibly is one reason, among others why the Parrot was domesticated.
In this piece of sculpture, and its usual comportment and gait, Ayekooto (the Parrot) is viewed carrying a little branch from a tree between its beak, this is a symbolic muzzling of the otherwise communicative bird, thereby effectively staying the expression meaningful and useful communication truthful information.
Ayekooto in this context portrays the Nigerian judicial system. The judiciary, an arm of government saddled with the interference of laws that have constrained its ability to rightfully deliver judgments in events. Today, our judicial system is similarly effectively muzzled. It does not speak as its mouth has been shut with money, amidst other material components that have undermined the arms of justice. We are familiar with the manner by which the guilty are set free and celebrated in our society while the innocent are scared of injustice. Perhaps we are all Ayekootos bonded in an unholy communion of silence.
