Dada, 2016, Live Performance
Material: Living Artist, Kerosine Stove, hibiscus leafs, calabash, metal pot, white fabrin, small serving cup.
In collaboration with Musician, Wura Samba.
Project write up: In Yoruba parlance Dada means “well, well” or perhaps thoroughly. It is also the name given to hair lock style and, as baby out of the womb, you have locked hair you are also called Dada. The term ‘Da’ can also mean pour. It is with all this in mind that this project was conceived.
The work considers the labour of women and mythical powers that are brought brought forth through brewin, cooking, and making. In Dada, the audience is asked to consider what it means to labour then serve. The artist, dressed in oshun white, brews a strong sweet batch of hibiscus tea, zobo, in the quiet of the day and arrives stained in the night fall and serves the tea to guest. As she serves she continues to labour through dance until she is completely finished (the tea and the artist) and there is nothing left for her to give, to herself or to the others. The event took place at Freedom Park, Lagos.
