Oju Inu "inner eyes"
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Authors
Omotade, Adeife
Issue Date
1990
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Performance art , Art, Yoruba--California--Oakland
Alternative Title
Abstract
"OJU INU" is the production of a public art piece which is used as a vehicle to bring people closer together by sharing one another's cultural and creative-traditions. It is a one-day transitory performance art piece. The theme of the performance encompasses the basic stages of human development which include birth, youth, old age, sickness and death in accordance with the Buddhist philosophy.
The project takes one on a journey from birth to death through an elaborately constructed path. At each stage, artists perform and instruct, involving the audience in ceremonial activities and dance and providing them with a cultural and educational experience that is based on the expressions of the Yoruba people of southwest Nigeria and the Blacks of the diaspora.
The main purpose of this event is to share and divulge information that offers creative alternatives to modern societal concepts by providing "another view," that is of art intermixed with life. It is an active demonstration of community cooperation and unity that dispels current stereotypes and builds an understanding of other races and cultures, thereby instilling a respect for differences and qualities of traditions and practices among races and creating a forum for audience interaction in order to open lines of communication.