For the longest time, the African continent has been pillaged on an unfathomable scale. Europe from the West, Asia from the East, North America from the North, and foolishly selfish African leaders have all had a piece of a pie that the average African has never tasted the crumbs of. A land abundant in natural resources, diversity, history and cultures has benefited much of the world except for the children of the soil themselves. Instead, they've been given worthless money in "exchange" for things that have intrinsic value.

Blood Money I is a 2021 mixed-media artwork that shines a light on African history, slavery and exploitation. From the looted art that sits in European and American museums to the heartbreaking images of child soldiers, oil wells sucking the soul and brains out of the land, and labourers toiling away against their will — it's all in here. In place of the African continent, money from every continent in the world has been sourced and collected to replace the shape of the African continent.

The blood of my ancestors has stained our oceans. The millions of strong and healthy African men, women and children who have lost their lives in the Middle Passage are also remembered in this artwork. I diluted 50 millilitres of my blood with ink and ocean water to use in this project in remembrance of those who have come before me. Swarovski crystals and gold foil represent the endless gems that are looted by multinational conglomerates and of course, shine as a glimmer of hope for the future of the land. An eerie pearlescent blue adds to the sombre tone of the artwork, in addition to the pain felt through the images.

Each image tells a story—a story of pain, grief, suffering and untimely death. So please, take your time taking this all in.

I hope that one day as many of you as possible will be able to see it in person. That is my wish for it.

01h25am | 11 June 2021