“Africa is poor, but we can try and help its people”. It’s a simple statement, repeated through a thousand images, newspaper stories and charity appeals each year, so that it takes on the weight of truth. When we read it, we reinforce assumptions and stories about Africa that we’ve heard throughout our lives. We reconfirm our image of Africa. Try something different. “Africa is rich but we steal its wealth.”
I paint injustice, I paint anger and I paint hope. I mix all these emotions together to create a hyperrealism oil painting that I want to scream.
I wanted to show the child as Africa pulled one way and the other by the countries of the West who have taken the riches from Africa for centuries and left the people of Africa to suffer and fight for the crumbs. I wanted to show how this land grab by the rich European countries was just a game of chess, the people of Africa did not matter, what mattered was plundering the resources of this beautiful continent. Justice has now fuelled this anger towards the colonisers and now Africa is big and powerful, it will no longer accept this theft, it will stand and walk tall and not bow to anyone.
When creating this artwork I let my emotions lead me. I initially painted the child and gradually added details until I was happy with the stance and the look of defiance. I wanted then to create multiple chess boards with the main countries that have plundered Africa as chess pieces with now flimsy rope attached to the African child attempting desperately to control and manipulate him but Africa is too big and powerful now to be manipulated.
I hope that when you look at this work you can feel, see and hear the injustice but if you look closely and listen with intensity you will realise that justice is now on the march.
