A look at 2 of the 9 works (“Abankɛseɛ 1” and “Ɔhene“) that will be displayed at EFA this summer!

Trophies of War: Kingdom of Light”

A trophy is a small monument serving as a symbol of a victory.  Trophies have been used to denote accomplishment since ancient times, and the word has been part of the English language since 1550, translated from trophée in 1513, called “a prize of war” with that prize serving as a monument of triumph. The word stretches back to the ancient Greek term: tropaion which refers to arms, property, or human captives and body parts, such as head hunting practices and other materials captured in battle. These war trophies commemorated the military victories of a state, army or individual combatant. Historically, human life and culture has been used as collateral for prestige and honor by the conquerors. 

I would like for audiences to reflect on the trophy and what it symbolizes. Many in our country have pride and identity tied to our nationalism (American Exceptionalism) without realizing or acknowledging that the colonial and imperialist history that lead to our present standard of living. This pride comes from a sense of meritocracy, with the “western” world having established a standard for living that other countries aspire to attain. Many immigrants move here with hopes to start a better life and internalize pride to be U.S. citizens. We all take advantage of the luxuries that “developed countries” have to offer when given the opportunity to indulge them, though I want to interrogate the trophy to shine a light on its history and purpose, specifically for the Black and POC communities.  I would love to push for my audiences to question what has value and why it has been endowed with such power. As individuals, we have the free will to denote what is valuable, and I hope that this series inspires questions and fosters pride in their various indigenous histories.