Yisa Akinbolaji's visual reflection on invisible dignity encompasses the spirit that inspires humanity

Yisa Akinbolaji

Yisa Akinbolaji has engaged in numerous solo and group art exhibitions (local and international) for more than two decades. Yisa is particularly renowned for his oil paintings, acrylic paintings, mixed media, and mosaic installations.

His dexterity and uncompromising freedom as registered in his color usage has earned him several commissioned projects in mosaic installations. Yisa has been published in many journals and books, one of which is, Nigerian Artists: A Who's Who and Bibliography, Hans Zell, 1993,
compiled and edited by Bernice Kelly and Janet L. Stanley of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, Washington, U.S.A. Yisa has taught art and coordinated several art workshops.

In 1997, Yisa moved to Canada. Over the years his art has been featured in the newspapers, discussed on the radio, and shown on television. Yisa is a member of the Canadian Artists' Representation, the president of the Creative Foundation Inc; and past president of the Manitoba Society of Artists, Winnipeg.

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Jo Cooper

Jo Cooper, 'Thunderbird Woman', was born in 1949. Coming from the Manigotagon and Selkirk areas, the plains forests and waterways of Manitoba were her playgrounds. Receiving a B.A. in geography and a second B.A. in Arts, Jo has been working as a professional artist and living in Frontenac, Quebec, where the Appalachian Mountains are backdrops to family and career activities. Jo finds the inspiration for her artwork coming from her Metis roots and a love of the environment. Her choice of natural materials such as sand, burlap, and copper powder add to the rugged textures and earthy tones of the acrylic paintings.

After a vision quest in 1991, the series,'The Disappearance and Resurgesnce of the Buffalo' found its home as a permanent exhibition in Ancient Echoes interpretive centre, Herschel, Saskatchewan. Constantly evolving various environmental and socio-historic themes Jo's art exploration is taking on large outdoor installation works with natural materials as well as smaller indoor gallery exhibitions marrying painting, photography and natural and recycled objects. Her latest exhibition involves poets from France and Quebec inspiring their written creativity from Jo's visual works.

Ray Dirks

Ray Dirks is a watercolourist whose artworks most often depict daily life on countries we know little about beyond the stereotypes. While not shying away from whatever the reality, he is mindful to present his subjects as people of dignity. Dirks is also curator at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery in Winnipeg. He has worked with artists in 30 countries, half in Africa, and has brought together several internationally touring exhibitions. When traveling - as an artist, writer, curator or photographer - he asks to stay with ordinary families, discovering uncommon dignity in common, and sometimes uncommonly difficult, situations. He enters worlds far from his own to respectfully observe, learn and document. As a result of his work in Africa, in 2002 he was invited to be artist-in-residence at the Overseas Ministries Study Center and a research fellow at the Yale Divinity School, both in New Haven, Conneticut. He has had solo exhibitions in Canada, the US - including Yale University, Ethiopia and Cuba. Three Dirks curated exhibitions have toured to New York City. He was the photographer, writer and designer of the coffee table book, 'In God‚Äôs Image: A Global Anabaptist Family. That project also included an exhibition from 17 countries that toured in Africa, Europe and North America.

Steve Prince

Steve A. Prince is a native of New Orleans, LA and resides in Hapton, VA. He received his BFA from Xavier University of Louisiana and his MFA from Michigan State University. Prince is an educator and has taught middle school, college, and is currently teaching at Hampton High School in Virginia. Prince is represented by Eyekons Gallery, in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Stonemetal Press, in San Antonio, Texas. Prince has created a number of public artworks, including a life-size bronze bust of 1967 Medal of Honor recipient Ruppert Leon Sargent in Hampton, Virginia, a 12ft by 40ft mixed media installation entitled 'Fabric of Life' in Newport News, Virginia, a 4ft by 24ft woodcut entitled 'Alexandria, Virginia. and two semi-kinetic winged figures each 6ft by 12ft called 'Urban Dove 1 and 2' in Williamsurg and Newport News, Virginia respectively. Prince is the recipient of numerous awards and honurs, including the 2008 Steward School Artist in Residence in Richmond, Virginia, the 2007 Partners of the Americas Artist in Residence in Santa Catarina, Brazil, the 2005 Creative Excellence Award of Virginia Career and Technical Education, the 2001 and 2004 Best in Show at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Beach, the 2004 Award of Achievement at the Peninsular Fine Arts Center Biennial, the Images 2006 and 2000 Merit Award Winner at Pennsylvania State University, and the Outstanding Award of Merit from the Mayor of New Orleans in 1999. Through his craft Prince has conducted workshops internationally in addition to being an accomplished lecturer in both secular and sacred settings. He has spoken at various colleges, community centers, museums, galleries, and addressed congregations of various denominations.

Geralds Folkerts

Geralds Folkerts was born in Vancouver and graduated from Dordt College (lowa) in 1980 with an education degree in Fine Arts and moved to Winnipeg to begin a teaching career that would span eigtheen years. Since then he has left the classroom to devote more time to painting works that continually invite viewers to reflect, and sometimes wrestle, with allusive, suggestion-rich and deeply relevant images. Calvin Seerveld (Senior Member Emeritus in Philosophical Aesthetics Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto, ON) says, 'Folkerts has the wisdom to let his Christian faith subtly percolate in the spirit of his painterly art by showing compassion for the problematic figures he treats.

Gerald has participated in both solo and group exhibitions in North America and was an award-winner in IMAGO's 30th Anniversary National Juried Competition and Exhibition as well as being the recipient of the First Award in several Manitoba Society of Artists Annual Juried Exhibitions. He has served as juror for various exhibitions, led workshops, and has been a featured presenter at art conferences and schools in Canada and the USA. Gerald is a past-president of the Manitoba Society of Artists and works out of his renovated attic studio in his Winnipeg home.

MYSTERY

the invisible dignity exhibition

Art speaks to the dignity of all

Winnipeg, MB. - Visitors to the Invisible Dignity exhibit have the uncanny sense of being watched. It's not a wonder; windows to the soul peer out from every wall; eyes of the hungry, the poor, the exploited and the displaced. The feeling is unsettling and more than a little compelling. Those eyes evoke compassion and they demand a response.

That is exactly what the exhibit is intended to do.

The exhibit is the central platform of the Invisible Dignity Project, a series of events employing art, music and discussion to address a variety of social injustices. Dr. Cornelius Buller, now the executive director of Urban Youth Adventures in Winnipeg, identified the need for such a venture several years ago when he conducted research into human trafficking for the Salvation Army Ethics Center. He was appalled by the horrifying abuses he discovered and by the pervasiveness of the issue. He decided to do something about it.

A conversation with artist Gerald Folkerts helped Buller find an appropriate response. At the time, Folkerts was creating a series of paintings to tell the stories of individuals marginalized by society. Buller and Folkerts realized they could collaborate to address their concerns.

Folkerts admits that the project involved a lot of talking until about six months ago. Then, suddenly, pieces began to fall into place. It was amazing to see God working in all of this, pulling it together, he says.

Buller and Folkerts approached others whom they felt might be inclined to support their initiative. Dr. Cal Seerveld, a Toronto-based academic who has made a career out of connecting people to issues through art, agreed to be a keynote speaker. Winnipeg Christian recording artist Steve Bell offered to provide musical support. As the list of participants grew, the project solidified.

Five artists have contributed to the project; Yisa Akinbolaji, (Manitoba/Nigeria), Jo Cooper (Quebec), Ray Dirks (Manitoba), Gerald Folkerts (Manitoba) and Steve Prince (Virginia).

Ray Dirks, who also assisted in project planning and is the curator for one of the exhibit's venues, the Mennonite Heritage Center Gallery, views the art and related events as an opportunity for self-examination. He believes art touches people on a visceral level by evoking questions; how do I react to these people? Do I pay attention to them? Do I view them as equal creations made in the image of God? This gives us an opportunity to be confronted and stimulated, he says.

Raising awareness is the first step toward action.

Art exhibits are on display at the Mennonite Heritage Center Gallery and Booth College until November 17. The well-attended opening week entitled Unveiling the Mystery included presentations by a variety of guest speakers and an evening of discussion with the artists. It attracted significant media attention. The week closed with a day of prayer and fasting followed by a benefit concert.

Other related activities are scheduled into February 2008. Gerald Folkerts reports that the Invisible Dignity Project has been invited to Philadelphia, PA and he is hopeful that it will continue to stir discussion.

For more information and a glimpse of some of the works on display, visit the Invisible Dignity website at www.invisibledignity.org

Sidebar: Influenced by the Great Creator

Each of the five artists involved in the Invisible Dignity Project has felt God's influence on his or her work.

Yisa Akinbolaji says three ideas for this exhibit came down from God while he was on the verge of sleep. He sprang from bed to quickly sketch an outline of 'Cherish and Protect', a portrait of a mother and child. It took him six minutes. He went back to bed and another idea came, then another. I said, God, that's enough ideas already. Let me sleep, Akinbolaji reports. But the ideas kept coming.

Jo Cooper, the only women in the group, views herself as a physical vehicle for the Creator who guides me. Her contributions to the exhibit portray graceful cloaked figures bending in the winds of adversity. These faceless shapes reveal emotion and connectivity without interference from identifiers such as race or color. The reigning energy of mother love is a constant in all the paintings, she says.

Ray Dirks says his paintings are inspired by the time he spends abroad living with ordinary people and learning their stories. Since 1978 my career has been in honor of the dignity of people, he says. Each of his paintings on display is subtly imprinted with words from Micah 6:8 that illustrate his motivation; and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Gerald Folkerts remembers almost overlooking one of his subjects 'Ralph, a street person' because he was so intent on sticking to his schedule. Fortunately, he responded to the small inner voice that nudged him to stop and talk. Just before Folkerts did leave, he offered Ralph a cup of coffee. Ralph shed tears of joy at this kindness and Folkerts was overwhelmed by the fact that he almost missed the opportunity to impact someone in that way. The Creator is head over heels in love with every one of us, Folkerts says. That perspective is what motivates his art.

Steve Prince's series, the 'Urban Epistles', is created from intricately detailed block prints. A kind of visual text, these pieces are layered with meaning to challenge viewers to question accepted norms and stereotypes. He often dedicates his images to specific people or situations and he prays as he works that each piece he produces will speak to those who view it.

By Deborah Froese