This piece is a social-political commentary in 21st century Nigeria; what used to be a child's fantasy in the 20th century to see cows, headsmen, and cattle egret. The cattle headsmen carry arms instead of the cattle whips scaring and terrorizing communities and see children run for cover instead of my days when we sing and herald their presence. The piece shows the proliferation of the Russian AK47s and the metaphoric armored carriers as the white cattle roaming against the greenery of a nation under siege. The only part of the country that appears untroubled by these armed cattle headsmen and their heads is the capital Abuja. Most farms and schools in the greenbelt of southern Nigeria see red [gets bloody] as the cattle move in and out of most communities in the south. The simulation of the cast Nigeria sculptural map on the floor is a cynical response to some politicians who suggest barbecuing any cattle found wanting. Those who attempt to resist pay with their lives. Most people in Victoria Island only see cattle barbecued, and the cattle egret only on a postcard. The leaves are from the surrounding of Eko hotel, destined to be garbage rescued as preserved for the exhibition's duration. The conceptual component of gathering the leaves and assisting in the presentation exposed the importance of gardeners confined to the other doors of the hotel now experiencing the interior. The gardeners get paid for gathering the dead leaves, and I imagine their response will be swift the next time I come calling. Cast and Fabricated cattle and AK47 adorned the country's perimeter, a nation under siege from the within. The piece also speaks to the rise of insurgency local militias around and about sub-Saharan Africa fallout the collapses of the Lybia regime of Moammar Gaddafi.
The piece can be a chandelier or a wall piece currently displayed.