Japanese Man 1

This is Japanese Man 1 from 1997. I'm sorting out my pictures and found several from this series. Thought I'd like to look at them again.

'Eyes' by Chuma Nwokolo Jnr

Eyes
(Inspired by Metamorphosis 2, a painting by Angie Phillip)

you stare astounded at my own astonished eyes.
for once, at last, we see.
soon, to feuds and warring clans,
may come this antidote more radical than guns,
more mind-blowing than drugs,
more harrowing,
truly more harrowing - and

yet

nothing more drastic than truly to see the enemy
and his blood; simply to look unblinkingly -
not through our usual black-and-white filters -
but to stare astounded. to stare, and stare until
the truth of sight becomes a mirror to our soul.
until we feel the mettle of his blues,
read his face’s panoply of hues,
his draining pools of dreams, and the
running
streaks of tears and rust…

so that when his blood
comes spurting redly at our thrust
we cannot look
away. no. and we will own his pain as

well

©Chuma Nwokolo, Jr. (2008)


Have a look: www.blogs.african-writing.com/chuma

Struggling with Magenta

I'm repainting Gledhow Valley Woods and struggling with magenta. I've already removed almost all the other colours in the picture, and I still can't make it look even vaguely all right. Da'i was right - 'magenta is not a kind colour'.

I shouldn't have been stubborn. I should have let the magenta go...

Have started to build the ajagap website today - it's surprising how long it takes. I'll put the link on the site. The next step will be to write the exhibition proposal - I'm not looking forward to that.

I'm grateful to my friend Chuma - he's written a stunning poem 'Eyes' as a response to 'Metamorphosis 2' one of the Hidden Woman pictures. I wanted to post it but can't figure out how to put a pdf on this blog.