The Color of My Land in the Storm

A powerful sculpture, enhanced by the sound of a stormy sea, that transforms the trauma of the crossing to Lampedusa into a symbol of identity and survival. The green boat serves as a metaphor for Nigeria and hope, while the memory of collective prayers invokes the intangible heritage of Nigerian resilience in the face of danger.

STORIES FROM ITALY

6/24/20261 min read

On that boat we stand, with bicycle inner tubes wrapped tightly around our necks as makeshift life jackets. We were fragile, suspended between life and death. Yet, right there, in the midst of the storm, my true intangible cultural heritage surfaced: the invisible strength passed down to us by our mothers and ancestors. In moments of deep terror, our culture teaches us not to isolate ourselves, but to pray together, to whisper words of faith that become a shield against the wind. That collective strength kept us alive until, on the horizon, the lights of Lampedusa appeared. The end of the journey, the end of the odyssey, and the beginning of my new life."

"I, too, wanted to use this workshop to tell you about the festivals, the music, and the traditions of my Nigeria. But right now, nothing inside me is louder or more powerful than the memory of the crossing. My hands had to give shape to that memory, to set it free.

I shaped a dark blue sea, deep and angry. If you listen closely, you will hear the sound of the storm in the background—it is the sound that accompanied our nights, the sound of fear. Upon those waves, I painted a green boat. This is no accident: green is the color of my Nigeria, of our land and our hope. It is as if, subconsciously, I wanted to place a piece of my homeland beneath our feet to give us the strength not to sink.

HERS

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Contact

hers@odyssea.com