Ogbanje Series : Outcast

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"Ogbanje"

It is a term in Igbo language  which was used to describe an evil spirit that would intentionally plague a family with misfortune. It also literally translate to children who "come and go", that is children who deliberately cause their family grief by dying some years (usually before puberty) after birth; hence repeating the cycle.

In another context, this series is supposed to capture rejection at its core. That constant paradox of loosing others while winning ourselves; that usual life long phase of loneliness when one avoids conformity to societal standards and its mass manufacturing of same persons as well as other issues which other parts of this series will portray. .
Being you comes with a significant amount of appraisal and rebuke or criticism. There's a network of people you have been created to influence. There's a network of persons you are to learn from or make better. The moment you start changing your core essence just because you've been criticised for something that defines your being, you may end up loosing the persons you you supposed to be connected to; influence. They would start drifting away because they would always sense a change in you.
Being an Ogbanje is to be resilient. It is to stick with one's core values and essence despite the pressure around to be someone else.
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Be inspired.

Series : Ogbanje
Title : Outcast
Medium : Charcoal on Smooth Pelican paper
Size : 3 ft by 2 ft
Art : Hyperrealism
Artist : Macaulay Barnabas

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