Photo by provided by Lasisi Richard Olagunju

Referring to his rendering of Jesus Christ as an African in one of his art pieces, Lasisi Richard Olagunju, an artist, a lecturer at the Federal College of Education in Nigeria and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “As an African from Nigeria, I like my figures to be of me – to be African.” In his recent beaded artwork, “Jairus’ Daughter Raised from the Dead,” he said he achieved this by depicting Christ with distinctly African facial features and even dressing Christ in traditional Yoruba clothing meant for royalty. In the piece, the Yoruba clothing He wears is called “aso oke,” Olagunju explained. “That color of fabric is called ‘alari,’ and it is regarded as the highest and most honored of all woven fabrics among the Yoruba people. It is regarded as being for kings,” he continued.

Olagunju said his art journey began at 10 years old when he learned to carve Yoruba effigies used to remember a deceased twin and protect the living one from similarly passing away. He said he then began creating beaded artwork. He explained, “I’m bringing my cultural background as a Yoruba man.”

Cyrelle Briz, a junior visual arts major specializing in graphic design from the Philippines, said learning about Baybayin, the ancient script of Tagalog that preceded usage of the Latin alphabet, helped her realize the importance of her Filipino culture. She said learning more about Baybayin and using it in her graphic design projects also taught her about the physical environment of her ancestors. “They got inspiration [for the script] from clams or shells,” she shared. “[Characters] represent the culture, and since Baybayin was inspired by the clams, it represents where it came from because the Philippines are filled with natural resources.” However, Briz said she was not always appreciative of her culture. “Now that I’m away [from home], I realize how important it is to be aware of your culture.”

Similarly to Briz, Vaimiti Colombani, a Tahitian senior and visual arts major with a concentration in painting and illustration, said she loves featuring cultural elements within her art. “Pretty flowers, pretty carvings or pretty Polynesian outfits … If I have to paint myself, I’ll definitely go more for the Tahitian side.” Of her artistic choices, she said, “I feel like in Tahiti, we put a lot of value and expectations on looks and looking good … That’s why I like wearing [flower] crowns or looking pretty when I paint myself.” Having started drawing when she was in elementary school, she said her journey as an artist began in Tahiti and embedded those cultural values deeply within her art.

Photo by Camille Jovenes

Hybridization and innovation of culture

Colombani said she enjoys combining traditionally Western mediums such as oil and acrylic paints with both her Tahitian background and her husband’s Marquesan background. “I was working at the carving section at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and I wanted to include that skill I learned to try something new,” she said. After first applying multiple coats of primer to prevent her paint from seeping into a foam board, chosen because it would be easier to carve than wood, she painted herself and carved symbols. “Those are Marquesan symbols [from my husband’s side] … This [symbol] means creation or universe,” she said.

Culture is rarely static and isolated from other cultures, Briz shared, like how although Baybayin is a script for Tagalog, it has roots in South Asian Brahmic scripts. Additionally, she said Tagalog changed significantly when the Spanish came to the Philippines. She said she hopes the ancient script of Baybayin can adapt to reflect the centuries-long changes within the Tagalog language, and she wants to help, “influence Filipinos to appreciate Baybayin.” Though she initially had little interest in Baybayin due to its prevalence in tattooing and T-shirt designs, she said she has since wanted to help make its usage more widespread. She explained the government has already made efforts to “support Baybayin by including it on government IDs like passports and street signage.”

Briz plans to create a zine, a small-circulation publication with text and images, to bring awareness to Baybayin. Briz shared there are many mediums to choose from when starting a new project like her zine. “That’s the fun part,” she said laughing. She said since she is an experienced graphic design major, she would like to design a website dedicated to Baybayin and accessible overseas. However, she said apps are also great resources for helping this ancient script connect with a modern and tech-savvy generation. She added, “I’m actually learning Baybayin through apps!”

Olagunju said combining Yoruba motifs with spiritual themes from his membership in the Church is central to his work, such as in his piece about Jairus. For instance, he shared in Yoruba culture, animals such as birds, reptiles and bears are seen as intruders and impure. “I packed those symbols under the bed of Jairus’ daughter to depict that the home of Jairus was not a holy environment. However, Jesus Christ loves Jairus’ daughter and was still willing to enter Jairus’ home to heal her,” he shared. Olagunju said multicultural approaches to artwork can enrich one’s experience of art.

Photo by Camille Jovenes

Spirituality in art

Comparing art to Christ’s parables, Olagunju said, “If you look at most art, there are lots of embedded truths. It is only the artist who interprets all the details of the art. And it takes time to understand artworks. [When you ask questions], you’re likely to understand it more than merely seeing it.” He said through time and study, viewers can develop a deeper understanding of complex and symbolic art pieces just like taking time to study Christ’s parables can reveal deeper meanings and lessons expressed within the stories.

“Art generally has the power of connecting the viewer to read and to understand,” he said, referencing “Jairus’ Daughter Raised from the Dead.” He said if you first look at the piece of art and don’t understand the meaning, it will take a lot of time to find it. Gradually, you might start to notice things rich in symbolism, such as light, he explained. In that piece, he said, Jairus’ daughter has no light around her head, “but look at Jesus Christ surrounded by glory.” Olagunju said he feels art, whether his own or other people’s, “cannot be completely separated from religion.”

Colombani said she views her artistic skills as a gift from God, explaining, “I couldn’t just know how to draw when I was 5 years old… I’m not a genius.” She shared she feels it is important to express gratitude for the gifts God has given us by using them and being humble enough to realize we have them. She added painting has helped her see more beauty in the world, remember God’s love, connect with God and see divinity within herself. “[God] is the first creator … So [God and Jesus Christ] are like the artists. The originals. And when I paint, I relate to Them.”

Though Colombani’s Tahitian upbringing and interest in art from a young age has made her aware of conventional beauty standards and value in looking put together, she said painting helps her to see beauty everywhere as God does. She said, “In different ways, everyone is pretty. People tend to have insecurities like their nose or anything on their faces.” However, when she paints, she said those insecurities do not appear unattractive to her. She loves unique features, she explained. “I like the pretty standards, but I also like finding everyone pretty.” In fact, she shared she often thinks, “God was really inspired to make those things,” when she sees something beautiful.

Photo by Camille Jovenes