The Bounty of our Motherland
Ghanaian artist Louise Fenny celebrates the African flora through painting.
By African Leadership Academy
Curated by: Rayhana Mouaouia
During the colonial era, large amounts of food production in Africa were intended for export instead of local consumption. The emphasis on growing specific types of crops - also known as mono-cropping - to cater to the European palate was detrimental to the fertility of the land
Decades later, mono-cropping impacted not only the land's fertility but also our taste buds. Growing out of the colonial era, our taste for foreign goods, as opposed to local goods, was spawned.
An unfortunate side effect is the exponential increase in the carbon footprint. Years of transportation - pre, during, and post-colonization - have partly resulted in the climate change we witness today.
The Bounty of Our Motherland by Louise Joya Ama Quansua FennyAfrican Leadership Academy
The African continent is home to diverse flora and fauna and Louise Fenny's piece celebrates its' bounty, as a token of gratitude to the land that nurtured us all. The Bounty of our Motherland is a multi-layered painting that honors Africa's nature.
In this painting, Mother Africa balances a calabash on her head - a symbol of freedom on plantations that held enslaved African Americans. To learn more about the history of the calabash in Africa and beyond, you can visit this exhibit by the Kenya National Archive.
Mother Africa emphasizes the bountiful supply of vegetation and produce that overflow from her calabash, declaring that it is sufficient to feed an entire continent.
Kente - a traditional Ghanaian cloth made of strips of silk, handwoven cloth, and cotton - swaths the calabash. Fenny's use of the kente colors in her drawing symbolizes the cultural significance of the freedom of Africans and the diaspora.
Kente, a traditional cloth, swaths the calabash, symbolizing the cultural significance of our freedom. The kente colors are meaningful: maroon is a symbol of healing and the mother earth; yellow is a symbol of royalty and wealth; green symbolizes harvest and growth.
In light of the current climate issues, a sunset unfolds in the background, signaling the end of an age and the genesis of a better one. Africa will rise and restore the synergy of her ecosystem, but it begins with us. How?, you ask,
For a start, eat from the bounty of your motherland, indicates Fenny.
Protecting the continent's biodiversity is crucial to overcoming the climate crisis. Let us ground our efforts in indigenous knowledge systems, which already paved the way for re-establishing the balance.
Meet Louise Joya Ama Quansua Fenny!
From pyrography, to graphic designing, Louise is a very versatile artist. As she beautifully articulates: "My paintings must inspire thoughts, these thoughts must inspire action, and if every African acts, the only option for Africa is to rise".
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