Masquerade is said to be the return of the past ancestors here on earth. That is; the ancestors coming back to visit and bring blessings to their earthily beloveds
Regrettably, masquerade is now portrayed as fetish, idolatry in our own clime and whereas, its one of those things we have  unfortunately lost track of its essence, that is to remember our ancestors  in funfair, to exhibit the cosmic  exuberance  embedded in our  colorful costumes and couture but has  unfortunately been castigated to our own detriment and a platform to seek revenge or a vendetta as the case may be. What a shame! So many other activities like Ijala Are Ode. Etc.
its not too late  now to rise and reinstate this foreign exchange earner at our disposal, in grand style. We might have to restructure  them, they are worthy of exploration. They are great Tourism recipe.
Halloween could almost be equated to masquerading except  that masquerading is far more deeper by nature  than Halloween  party which smart people have heavily commercialized into a multi billion dollar  annual celebration. Please refer to Mardi Gras in New Orleans USA and also the annual Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean 
They are both multi billion dollars events and they are offshoots of masquerading activities. Costumes and accessories are the point of beauty in the above mentioned Carnivals.
Calabar, Lagos, Abuja  Carnivals are commendably worthy of exploration.Yoruba Think.
Tunde Odunlade


“Masquerade of my Ancestors

The making of a legend, is an insight  into the impetus  behind  the success  of  one Nobel Laureate. He’s surrounded by  people and full of extra curricular activities, indigenous knowledge, native intelligence,  nocturnal and non- nocturnal activities , cultural symbols, motifs icons,  animals , hunting games, Humanity, war, hatred, love, parables, proverbs, legends,  folktales, folklores, women, tradition, sadness, happiness, fearlessness, bravery,  activism, Winery, ideology, philosophy, psychology,  enterprise , spirituality not necessarily religiosity, acting locally and thinking globally, such is  the mind set  of this  living legendary.
Question here, of all the above points  which of them do you think is most valid and needed mostly  or that are not necessary at all in life? Give your answer. Whatever your answer. 
Guess what? You fail because you leave one at the expense of others, its all encompassing, it all rolled into one. Fail in one, means  fail in all. The intensity may be differ from people to people place to place, time to time. However, this is what makes you a whole man. The difference between being good and being great is how much attention you pay into details and to the reality around you. Pure and simple. After all, all of us doesn’t have to be genius. 
Tunde Odunlade  


The making of a legend 

I got inspired  for this piece some forty years  ago in a church Pastored by Rev. Joseph Lowery in  Atlanta GA, USA.. (An Activist in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s  Civil Right Movement. 
The whole church  held hands while singing , 
“ We are climbing Jacobs Ladder 3x
Sisters  brothers all.
“Everyone goes higher higher 3(ce) 
sisters brother all”. 
The book of Genesis chapter 28 : 12-14 read; 
“And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And behold, the Lord stood over and beside him and said , I am the Lord , The God of Abraham your Father and the God of Isaac , I will give to you and to your  descendants the land on which you are lying . And the offspring shall be as the dust or sand of the ground , and you shall spread abroad to the west and the east and the north and the south; and by you and your offspring shall all  the families of the earth be blessed  and bless themselves”.
Like  I said, we all held hands and I was emotionally and spiritually jacked up. To  the point that , that moment is still impactful on me till today, that I will surely rise up to the top of my ladder of success 
But now that  things have really looked up  for me, even though, my best is yet to come and I’m still climbing the ladder up am grateful., I decided to share this experience on my canvas.
That’s my inspiration on the piece.  
I’m not a churchy person like that but spirituality can flow upon you anywhere even when least expected
Tunde Odunlade


Title “Jacob’s Ladder

Knowledge is power, is a cacophony of substance and therefore a perfidy. 
For a very long time, what supposed to be a compendium of knowledge was made to be something we in our  ignoramus self despised, because, some people who wanted our jugular told us it was a cacophony and we believed them.
Ifa the Yoruba oracle and an iconic of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, we were made to believe  that it was less important.
Ifa the binary system which allegorically become what is computer today.
The mystery of the binary light is Concordia to the birth of  the computer 
Ifa is  a pragmatic spiritual science and study of how things come into existence  cosmologically as codified by Orunmila Bara Agboniregun “God of Wisdom”
There are  16 by 16 Odu as depicted on this piece. When you count the nuts on this piece you will count eight eight in places as the odu ifa sixteen tim The two opposite of the jug handle bells are the positive and negative of which one can’t  work without the other.
Tunde Odunlade


“Knowledge is Power”

Speak up now or never, you’ve got the voice for a new song to sing.
Women ride the tide don’t be left out, join the race now! Raise your thump up, there is that yellow spot signifying success when you lets your voice join in the struggle  and stem the tide “Atewolara Igunpa niiye kan”. Your arm palm is your family, while  your elbow is your extended. Speak up. “Soro soke”!
Tunde Odunlade

“Speak up, Women ride the tide, thumbs up” (Atewolara) 

Human naturally  believe in spreading their tentacles to  cast their nets in the name of expansion  of territories on any community that appears to be weaker than they are. That is; wherever they feel they can get whatever it is they may need for survival. Survival without question is a crucial game, so it becomes survival of the fittest. The spot in the center is the focal point where the ambition begins and then spread to anywhere.
The British has done a good job of that. They own virtually half of the whole world by way of colonization. That has had both advantage and disadvantage on their colonies, most of which will depend on the people, some been made into shambles and some making an headway with it.
For instance, The British colonized India same way they colonize other places. Today, India has become the world Tech headquarters and some Indians  all across the globe have become CEOs of Pharmaceutical industries, Tech Hub initiatives and even owners  of Three Stars  hotels and Motels across the length and breadth of the world.
However, You cant recall the past with sorrows, ‘cause bitterness bears no fruit, even if it does, it will still be a bitter one. So, I don’t think it makes sense to keep lamenting over, but we must shake the experience, decolonize and move forward as quickly as possible.
Enough of apportions of blames on how ABC did not allow XYZ to happen. Lets just move on. 
Tunde Odunlade.


“Expansion of territory ”

Seleru Agbo, 
Agbara Agbo o
L’Osun fi nwo ‘more
Ki dokita o to de
Abimo mo dana’le 
Osun la npowe mo 
Osun Segeese Oloya ‘yun
This is a song in honor of Osun
Osun is the Goddess of Fertility.
It is believed  that, Osun is a caregiver,  she is associated with water, Purity, Fertility, Love and Sensuality. 
She is considered one of the most powerful of all the Orisa.
Largely because she possess  healing power and ability to use leaves  for medicinal devise  before the advent of the Whiteman's tablets, capsules, or syrup. 
Her discovery of leaves, shrub, tree barks, roots may not be unconnected with how the Whiteman at their first contact got to learn of our prowess on the use of  herbs. 
Or can any major pharmaceutical industry say to me that roots tree barks, shrub are not the source of their raw materials even though I equally understand that they now use synthetic substances.
Osun Groove in Oshogbo is a world UNESCO heritage Site.
Recently, An American pharmaceutical industry introduced to the world market, capsules made out of bitterleaf (Ewuro) and selling for exorbitant prices, a leaf that grows in our backyard and not much importance is attached to its use, Africans please think.
Tunde Odunlade  


"Seleru Agbo” Osun Oshogbo

You see, you can kill terrorists but will be difficult to kill terrorism. Largely because it’s a thing of the mind. 
You can however reduce the spate to the barest minimum by three majors things out of countless others
1) Reduce poverty to the barest minimum
2) Put more value and create a better life for the citizenry
3) Education must be germane to its people, otherwise, its works against itself.
4) Make life more abundant, let there be equal right and justice
5) Make partisan politics less attractive to dissuade it from a “do or die” affair.
6) Avoid fundamentality and religious fanaticism  as much as possible.
Tunde Odunalde

Assymetric In Motion

This piece takes a deep look into  time as it  relates to life. Time is money, spend  it wisely.
If you take a look at the wrist watch on top you’ll see that  it's on 10 and 2 o’clock of time and that’s how you suppose to place your hands on the steering wheel. That is your left hand on 10 while your right hand is on 2.  that’s  the instruction  you follow when driving to avoid unforeseen circumstances. But when you place your hand on 7 and 5 o’clock of time looking at the clock below, you are susceptible to loosing balance in case of a sudden occurrence.
In other words therefore, some accidents occur due largely to inadequate precaution and preparation to be in control in case of any eventuality ahead of your bad attitude.
Forgetting that, our life success or failure is  85% attitudinal. As they say, “Your attitude will ultimately determine  your altitude”So, when you pay attention to things more critically, there is bound to be harmony as all the colors and pattern of the piece depict
This piece is all about looking inward to realizing that you are the architect of your own life.
Time and tidy waits for no man. Be time conscious and hold your destiny in your hand seriously. Life has no spare.
Tunde Odunlade


Accuracy in time, balance In life

Cloned grotesque lioness is again to emphasize possibilities science will continually explore and create. Should this happen scientists deserve  trophies as the Yoruba say “Yin ni yin ni k’eni o se mi” that is to praise an achiever is for him to  achieve more.
The rate at which science is going, the sky is no limit.. My worry therefore is, what are people of colors doing on their own mother or father land as the case may be. 
Look around you and show me a technological or scientific development that people of color are not  a part of or even dominate the practice internationally, However, all these inventions don’t happen on our own continent. That’s a shame. What happened? I guess because our system of governance does not allow creativity to thrive with all those clumsy policies capable of killing creativity and disallow talents to blossom to apogee.
Even our artists who have stayed on their continent to produce their works of art who will now go abroad to bring home accolades have had to sacrifice, they go through thick and thins, and yet, they are the least recognized sector in our societies. Why? Unfortunately, Religion hasn’t really helped matters, because art has been tagged fetish, idolatry, and we still going around to carry that in our heads.
Nigerians especially, we need to girdle up our loins, buckle up and decolonize now.
We are been made tools in the hands of the so called advanced countries where all actions happen. Africa land is a dumping ground and now we even voluntarily make ourselves  slaved now. “Japa” syndrome (in quest for greener pastures) and the system call it “Brain Drain” while I say no such things as “brain drain”, because, we don’t have businesses or industries here that are crying for able hands. So how can you call it “brain drain” Another shame.
As for me and my colleague artists, we shall continually bring pride to our continents, no matter what.. Hopefully they’ll one day wake up from their slumber
Let politicians go ahead and impoverish their own people. The cloned grotesque  lioness will come get them.
Tunde Odunlade


Imaginary Cloned Grotesque Lioness

Bon Voyage means Safe Journey or Journey mercies or Yoruba will say “E o gun’le layo o” When people embark on a journey, the wish is that they arrive at their respective destinations safe. It does not matter what  the method of transportation may be or what celebration it is it may be, bottom line is landing safe.
This scenery is a fiesta mood bon voyage, they are celebrating life
on the water, what best can you wish them other than safe landing. The Yoruba say “Arin f’ese si ko kan maili” That is for disaster or accident to occur, it doesn’t have to do with how far you have travelled, how about domestic occurrence, may we don’t see it. So wishing ourselves good all the time is key.
Tunde Odunlade


BON VOYAGE

There was that legendary of a man who was  a political leader of Yoruba extraction. He had the power for multiple appearances ,.While I was growing up as a young man. It was said that the man could appear through every door or window of his house, simultaneous as a result, it was difficult for his political opponents  after his life to really pin point the real him.. Not until much later in life, that science  began to talk cloning. We also heard of some leaders who  as part of  their security architecture would have resemblances  walking along with them and so one can’t tell the real them. Chief Obafemi Awolowo “The best President Nigeria never had“ Odumegwu Ojukwu, Awolowo was said to have been the legend who appeared in multi replicas of himself. 
Chief Awolowo was perhaps the genius of the 20th century amongst the Yoruba people, born in 1909. While perhaps Another Yoruba genius was Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther, born in 1809, he translated the Bible  from English to Yoruba. Perhaps another Yoruba genius may have been born in 2009 that due largely to instability of our political life not giving enough enabling environment for talents to blossom to apogee, that one may have gone into the thin air.  Show me one. 
Tunde Odunlade

CLONING

Cavalcade of Stars is of immense proportion, that which is   key to a life hinged on consistency, perseverance, patience and persistency.
From bottom up, the progression of man’s efforts in his chosen career could be bright some, tough some, difficult some, some successes and failures but gradually you scale  the uphill, till it starts getting clearer and clearer as you go without ceasing and it then becomes a self enlistment. That’s what the circles depict going up the ladder
You keep rising to the top  and begin to stand out amongst others and you become known in your chosen field, till you become the Star of that your chosen career. You get on top of the ladder. Those who didn’t know how you get there will begin to jealous and would do anything to pull you down. But because you are who you are, knowing where you’ve been coming from, you don’t let their shenanigans bother you. You just remain focused.
Look how many footballers  there are and yet Pele rose to stardom, Michael Jackson rose to stardom amidst  many  entertainers,  while  Michael Jordan became a star in basket ball  arena.
King Sunny Ade became a worldwide star, in the field of music, Ben Enwonwu took Nigeria to the limelight in the field of art.
“A quitter doesn’t win and a winner doesn’t quit, “slow and steady wins the race”. I’ll keep pushing till  I become a Superstar..
Tunde Odunlade