Isé àgbè ni Isé ilè wa, eni kò sisé yío mà jalè. This song doesn’t only provoke nostalgia for most adults of Yorùbá extraction, it extol virtues that is expected of an Omolúàbí. Òkehò artist, AYÒDÉLÉ Ayòbámi Abíolá is determined to demonstrate this with his talent and profession.Occssionally, A.Y Djoy as he is fondly called might be seen chiselling at this statue during a very hot afternoon in the heart of Okeho at the famous Àgbèloba roundabout.
This is a task born out of sheer communal love, his tendency to be a change agent, and his love for his Yorùbá culture.If we listen to what the spirit of his art is saying to us, there is no better time than this for ÒKEHÒ indigenes and indeed Òkèògùn indigenes even those in the diaspora to leverage on the abundant opportunities in Agriculture and the vast arable land available in the region to feed Òkèògùn, and Òyó State at the least.
According to A.Y, the previous Àgbèloba statue was already damaged for a while with no effort made towards its repair. As an artist, he decided to express his green ideas with his art.It is obvious this statue has heavy implications because of the message.
The previous statue was effective, but A.Y wants indigenes and visitors to remember Àgbèloba roundabout always. This time around, it would be bigger. “I used to feel bad seeing the condition of the statue in the main heart of the town, it was serving a purpose, and since no one was making any attempt, I took it upon myself as an artist to fix it, with the hope that like minds will key in to communal projects and do whatever is needful.”Let us be the change we want to see.
I find it disturbing seeing our agile young men believing in leaving Okeho before they can be successful when there is wealth within, wasting away. Although this trend is changing bit by bit, we need to be emphatic with our encouragement.”I also had to do this because everyone knows we have quality artists and talented individuals in Òkehò but if we don’t express talent, what’s the use?”
I want the whole town, especially the youths, to stimulate well-meaning individuals to get busy with Agriculture, I mean technologically advanced farming that will help us find sustenance.”How tasking has the commitment been for the artiste?
Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, so maybe when all is done, the artiste will tell his story. Although A.Y is still bearing the cost of this work, he hopes to find a like mind or maybe like minds who are passionate about arts, agriculture, and national pride that could sponsor this project.These are the patriots we seek so we can act on solutions rather than focus on the problems without acting on solutions in our little way.
DjoyARTS is a registered business situated in Ìsià, Òkehò and the company may be reached on 08053351058, 08033809273.
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