African Design Magazine August 2015 | Page 96

in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London, 2014. Battle Bus will be travelling to Nigeria as part of Action Saro- Wiwa a campaign to clean up the Niger Delta Summer 2015. At the moment I like Green Leaf barrel and Battle Bus (Memorial to Ken Saro Wiwa). What are you currently working on? I am trying to work towards a solo show Did you always want to be an artist? for Spring 2016 I was given paints by my brother-in-law at six years and loved it but realised I wanted to be a sculptor at the age of twelve. What do you have in store for the next twelve months? Mixed shows London, Korea, Auction What artists, African and abroad, Arthouse, Nigeria and maybe a solo show have inspired your work? in the Caribbean. So many artists through out history have been an inspiration. But my most formative I am trying to find a permanent site in memory is a choreographer caller Peggy London for ‘All the world is now richer’ Harper who put traditional dances onto sculpture commemorating abolition of the stage in Nigeria in the sixties. Can she slavery. The plan is to create bronzes from be classed as an artist? my steel sculpture. If anyone would like a How would you describe the style of your work? Once off and heartfelt. What is the general inspiration when you sit down to create? Having a sparse time at the moment; too hot to weld. I do not sit down much when I work; cutting steel and welding requires standing up and being aware of what your tools are doing. My inspiration is reading papers talking to family and following themes. Can you pick out one or two favourite pieces of your work? 96 africandesignmagazine.com copy of these pieces they should contact me. The maquettes have a good legacy as they were shown in St Paul’s Cathedral last year. ‘Battle Bus’ the memorial to Ken Saro Wiwa , informs and educates people of the plight of the Ogoni people and others in the Niger Delta where pollution has blighted people’s lives. The Bus is an emblem of Action Saro Wiwa; it will be arriving in Nigeria at the end of August 2015 to encourage people to think of better ways to extract oil and to deal with the pollution in our country – is there a way to help ourselves? Can we clean up the Delta? Encouraging debate and constructive action like this could be good locally and globally. Let us encourage good industrial practice in our country and revive one of the most beautiful parts of the world. AD