These days, I begin many of my works without a preliminary sketch. This is deliberate. I am keen to leave
some things to time, chance and The Spirit that creates.
As such many of my compositions, including and especially the “aso” series are the result of as much
spontaneity as possible. Still, so far, many of my results inevitably bear my fingerprint. Incidentally, I have
attempted to fight this, perhaps due to much pondering over thoughts and ideas that are not my own.
Thankfully, as soon as I disregard persuasions and disputings and simply let the spirit flow, I become the first
fan of my own work. My artist’s instincts tell me this is where I need to be.
In this harvest of work which I have titled “aso”, I look figuratively at our obsession with elaborate festive
dressing.
Aso is a Yoruba word for cloth. But it is also used colloquially as regards groups of people dressed in
identical fabric and or colour, especially as seen at a typical Nigerian wedding. As an artist, I am fascinated
with the dressing, colours, textures and styles present at many of these events.
A great deal goes into our dressing and into selecting our “aso”. I believe that if we could be as fervent and
enthusiastic in many other more important areas of our existence as we are with our dressing, our colletive
attitude will adorn us with majesty and excellency; we will be arrayed with glory and splendour. These
describe spiritual clothes. In them we will surely stand out as one of the greatest nations on the earth, in all
spheres of life.
Gbenga Orimoloye