Of dogma and doing it your own damn way!
I made a statement back in 2012. My then Creative Director, boss and now friend, Colin Morris, liked it so much he had me make into an identity to serve as a mantra for the agency.
The execution was a no-brainer. Graffiti as an art form is generally perceived as decadent and luxuriously self-indulgent. However, if executed and deployed tactfully, could form a very powerful political tool in the hands of the right person. You don’t believe me? Check out the art of Banksy, an anonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist and film director, or bringing it closer home, Lemi Ghariokwu’s artistic representations for FELA during his lifetime.
Stuff of legend!
The problem is that we don’t institutionalize our real heroes in these parts.
In terms of the message, the execution requires a radical approach. It’s a creed I try to live by but surely not enough. Every word rings true. Every move calculated, fed by a resolve to be better and just do better, a moral compass that dictates direction.
In retrospect, even though it was well intended and an exercise in good faith, it was obvious that none of us was ready to practice what we preached at that time, which is a microcosm of our nation. Truth is that you don’t need everyone on your side to take certain actions, a little leap of faith would suffice. A few others would come around to it when it starts bearing fruits. On and on, the circle grows.
We also should not mistake culture for tradition. Culture can and usually evolves. Tradition does not even try. Therefore, to challenge tradition, one needs to revisit history to know what inspired its existence in the first place. No system is perfect but we can strive for perfection. Once that’s done, the next step requires strategy. For instance, I do not hold the view that Africa has any business with Democracy and other borrowed Western systems. We should acknowledge them, but shouldn’t canonize them.
In my view, there has to be a holistic approach to nation building. Let’s rip apart the institutions that hold us back. Especially those of them too steep in tradition. It’s like trying to turn an articulated truck, moving at speed. It won’t yield at first but you have to do it with resolve.
That said, seeing this again today, reawakens something in me and I’m going to start by making a t-shirt of it so I can wear it all year round as a reminder of my mission to the cause. Challenge Tradition!
Who else wants one?
