THE VILLAGE MARKET
The Village Market was the most prestigious shopping mall in the city. Set in the ‘red hills’ and surrounded by tall trees, maize plantations and banana trees, it really lived up to its name. The entire mall had been landscaped to complement its surrounding. The shops and restaurants were built on split levels, with lush green foliage all over and beautiful man-made waterfalls splashing into small streams that flowed all over the mall. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
A few months prior to this, I had lived in the same neighbourhood. This had been my weekend hangout. And at present, I was seated at my favorite table, at my favorite deli, watching a live band play their rendition of ‘Smooth Operator’. Being Saturday evening, the mall was packed with families, groups of trendy teenagers and young singles. It was a regular weekend for everyone except me.
The sun was slowly setting and the sky was a pattern of gold and purple. It was a stunning African sunset. I was dressed fashionably in knee high boots, jeans, a red t-shirt and I carried all that I owned in my back pack. I should have been enjoying myself like I used to. I should have been happy. I simply wasn’t. I was fighting tears. How could I be in such a beautiful place and be so miserable? I had watched swimmers at the water slides. I had laughed with the children at the Kiddie City. My lunch had been a half-eaten burger and fries, snagged from one of the tables at the food court. My belly was full. And now, the day had come to an end. I was very afraid. I was very afraid. I had nowhere to go. I was homeless.
This painting depicts that day. I have used contrasting colours; purple, peach and orange, to show how disconnected my internal environment was to the immediate external environment. All was fine and dandy around me, but deep inside, I was distraught. I have painted myself as a man because at that specific moment, I was trying to man up to my situation. The painting shows the worry on my face and the tears stinging my eyes. The yellow cultural jewellery is light, contrary to how heavily it is usually worn. By minimizing the amount of jewellery, I am trying to show the ‘thinning’ of cultural norms. In traditional African culture, family was well taken care of. Travellers were welcomed, fed, housed and assimilated into the home. Yet there I was, with nothing to my name, and with no one extending that warm African hospitality. I was a foreigner in my own land.
Urbanization has changed the African culture. I wish to engage in this conversation. What are the ways in which urbanization has made an impact on your culture?
