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SENSE OF SELF
OLAWUNMI BANJO -
Olawunmi Banjo (b. 1985) is a self-taught Nigerian visual artist who studied Entrepreneurship at the Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos. Banjo began her artistic journey in hyper-realism with her characteristic attention to detail, and has evolved her painting style to explore more surrealistic landscapes in an attempt to re-orient typical mind-sets. In her recent body of work, Banjo paints expressive wire figures, which explore deep ideologies by portraying everyday social and individual realities which confront us. By keenly observing nature, works of art, and life situations fueled by personal experiences and experiences of others, Banjo’s art is a response to hidden realities which confront us individually and collectively across the globe.
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Letting Go
Letting go is a gradual process of relinquishing all associated thoughts and feelings weighing us down emotionally. Letting go transcends your feelings towards an experience and by rising above your feelings, you surpass your thoughts and it frees you from any form of attachments. It can be done continuously till it becomes effortless. Constantly letting go frees your mind of accumulative emotional tensions.
Healing takes place when we learn to let go and the hidden gift is revealed to us in the process, we can learn and grow from it and so will other people. Letting go liberates the mind and soul from any form of attachment. As we let go, there is a state of inner peace, inner innocence, innate freedom, sense of awareness, true inner essence, genuine love and tolerance towards others and self-acceptance; a sense of normalcy returns to our physical, mental and spiritual form. It is healing to let go and when you heal, you heal the world for all.
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Moments
Moments are very delicate and your decision could alter the course of someone’s life for good or the other way around without you being aware of the impact you have made in the life of others. It is easy to damage someone when we are numb or insensitive to the feelings of others. When we are aware that we all process our feelings differently, it makes us try to understand before we react. Understanding the reality that we are all on different paths to growth moves us to treat people better and by doing so we elevate their level of consciousness and awareness. We need to be mindful with our words and actions towards people as it could be the validation they seek to pull the trigger or be pulled back to life. Let your words and actions be instruments in pulling people up from their despair.
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For years, Banjo created highly realistic paintings with an extraordinary level of detail. In her most recent body of work, the “wire” figures predominate. This formal device gives the bodies depicted in her works a new dynamism and a greater fluidity. Before, the figures were generally static, moody, and pensive. They are now in movement. Some lines are threads and ropes that bind and pull down while others raise and liberate. For her, the intertwined cords that make her figures are metaphors of the flow of energy that permeates human life.
Dr. Jess Castellote
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Sense of Self
Self-realization is a journey of a lifetime that unfolds the layers of energy we hold within and reveals the higher self that is within us. Clarity comes by aligning oneself with the inner core of your being and letting your divine spark guide your path in life. Not knowing our potential only makes us wander. We embrace who we are when we have a balanced sense of self and experience the world without losing touch with who we truly are. By transcending our experiences we discover our inner essence, we develop compassion and humility and in the process we elevate others by helping them ride the waves of life seamlessly. Evolving our level of consciousness and that of others will lead to the progression of aligning ourselves with beingness. By making life better for others, we in turn make life better for ourselves and the world. We can only help others if we first learn to help ourselves and knowing the boundless energy we hold within helps us to experience the true nature of existence, happiness, peace, love, equality, true humility and freedom.
