SPIRITUAL VIBRATIONS + THE VEIL // SANDRO MASAI
SEPTEMBER 13TH - NOVEMBER 6TH
SPIRITUAL VIBRATIONS - Ritualistic artworks by Sandro Masai
SPIRITUAL VIBRATIONS is conceptual artwork that consists of a series of large paintings by Sandro Masai. The paintings have different spiritual powers depending on their color or combination of colors. It is possible to find several articles online and in books about theories, meanings and the psychological effects of colors on us humans. The spiritual power of colors is also heavily studied and practiced in many different cultures around the world. My project is inspired by the Afro-Yoruban culture.
The Yoruba community is originally from Nigeria, but it has spread across Africa, the Americas and Europe with the slave trade during the colonial time (1500-1900). I come from Brazil, where the Yoruban tradition and mythology is very strong nowadays. In the Yoruban tradition we sing and dance to worship the Orishas, African gods. Each Orisha has their own music rhythm, dance and a color or combination of colors that people use in their rituals. Most Orishas are representations of natural phenomena, such as, Yemanjá, the sea goddess, a motherly figure who protects her children, represented by the color light blue; Oshun, the goddess of the rivers and waterfalls, she is the goddess of divinity, femininity, fertility, beauty and love, she is represented by the colors gold and yellow; Obatalá, the god of peace, represented by the color white; Eshu, the god of communication and messenger between worlds, represented by the colors red and black; Ogun, a warrior and a powerful spirit of metal work and technology, represented by the navy blue color; etc.
THE VEIL
SANDRO MASAI with GHANA FRIENDSHIP & YEFL GHANA
Veil [noun]| UK /veɪl/ US /veɪl/
Definition 1: A piece of thin material worn mostly by women to cover the face or head.
Example: the community wore a multicolored veil made from pieces of imported used clothing that covered all but their eyes.
Definition 2: Something that prevents you from knowing what is happening:
Example: we want to lift the veil of secrecy that surrounds government decisions and negative societal norms that impact us negatively.
Definition 3 [verb]: The act of covering, concealing or disguising a thing.
Example: we are veiling the badly managed trash created in our community, hopefully the trash miraculously disappears after.
The Veil is a thought-provoking Conceptual art piece that is inspired by traditions and customs of Northern Ghana, where veils carry profound cultural and symbolic significance. Veils serve not only as a physical barrier, offering women privacy and protection from the harsh elements, but also as a metaphorical shield, concealing the wearer’s identity from the outside world. Veils also represent modesty, allowing women to shield their beauty from the world. In this art piece, the veil is reimagined on a global scale to address one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change.
This artwork serves as a powerful commentary on the current global response to environmental degradation, particularly plastic pollution. By creating a veil large enough to cover the world, ”The Veil” symbolically highlights humanity’s tendency to mask, rather than confront, the true scale of the environmental crisis. It illustrates the irony of using the very materials that contribute to pollution—discarded clothes, often made from synthetic, non-biodegradable fibers—to create a shield that obscures the damage being done to our planet. The veil thus becomes a poignant symbol of denial and the need to break free from superficial solutions.
Making ”The Veil” involved a collaborative effort on many levels and stands as a reminder of the consequences of inaction and the need for genuine, sustainable solutions to global environmental challenges.
This presentation is the result of a 5-day workshop on Conceptual Art by the Ghana Venskab (Ghana Friends) and YEFL Ghana under the Art of Change activity as part of the Empowerment for Life (E4L) Program, facilitated by Afro-Brazilian artiste, Sandro Masai and Ghanaian artist, Bright Ackwerh at Redclay and Nuku Studios in Tamale.
Participants of the workshop came from diverse communities in the Northern Region and from different artistic disciplines to add their voice to the growing #ClimateAction discourse.