JOSEPH OBANÍ-ÌBÍ (OBANUBI)

This Series is an exploration of Water and sanitation being basic human rights. It began as a response to WaterAid's 10 years celebration of access to water and sanitation as human rights in which 10 artists were commissioned to interpret what right and access to clean water and sanitization means.

My approach was to raise awareness of this issue from a nuanced perspective. There are lots of spaces that lack access to water and sanitation where I am from (Lagos, Nigeria) until this day and I decided to communicate using symbols, play and fantasy as descriptive tools for my idea.

The project also dabbles into spirituality, functionality and gender, referencing Yoruba sculptures with the poses. It dwells on the healing qualities of water as an integral part of a thing. Water is a basic element of life and an essential factor. It is a symbol of force and strength.