Waiting II

Diseye Tantua is a contemporary Nigerian painter born in 1974 in Accra, Ghana to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from the Department of Fine and Applied Art at the Rivers State University of Education, now Ignatius Ajulu University, Rivers State. Diseye’s art is famous for his fusion of bold, bright colours and, most times, graphic symbols and expressive texts in a rendition style known as “Afro Pop Art”. His themes are generally centered around urban and social life, inspired by the daily struggle to survive and make ends meet in the city. Diseye lives and works in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State and his works have been widely exhibited at home and abroad.

Waiting II is the second in a series of painting by Diseye portraying a group of women patiently waiting for a haulage task, as generally seen in market places. Unlike the first in the series, the three women look tired and exhausted from the busy day of strenuous haulage activities. They all seem to be sleeping with the first sitting inside her basin with her face covered with her scarf, the second lying and sleeping on the back of her basin, while the last is sitting on the floor with her arms anchored on her knees and covering her face. The texture of the work characterized by blend of smooth and rough, “sketchy” brush strokes on the bodies of the characters and dripping paints of different hues all over its surface. The painting reflects on the importance of taking a nap and resting during and after stressful work as it celebrates the resilience and doggedness of women who strive daily to earn a living and sustain their families.