Miranda Mafe
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Biography
Ink on Recycled Mayfair Paper
7" x 5"
Miranda Mafe was born in Lagos, Nigeria. She recently graduated form University of Guelph where she earned Distinction in a B.A. Honours program in Studio Art with a minor in Computer Science. She is currently pursuing an Honours Bachelor degree in Design at York University. She is particularly interested in self-portraiture.
Artist's Statement - Yoruba Proverbs
Among the Yoruba, proverbs are considered an essential means to teaching wisdom and truth. They show up in arguments, daily conversation, or simply in the act of an elder shaking his head fervently at a child before reciting some obscure sentence about a lizard with a stomach ache. (At which point, as that confused child, my first thought would generally be "what?")
Having grown up in Nigeria, the series Yoruba Proverbs attempts to express my childhood sentiments regarding the habitually patronizing statements of wisdom that could bring out so much confusion, laughter, understanding, irritation, and even the much sought-after respect for one's elders. In other words, a search for proverbs in the face of mutinous children who are, at times, left by themselves to figure out "what?" it all means.
Regarding my style of work, all pieces begin with my own face as seen in a hand-mirror. Once the initial facial expression is finished, it becomes a question of care. Due to the inconsistencies of handmade paper, each base is slightly different in thickness and reacts differently to the ink. Hence, while working, my drawing hand is light and generally approaches each piece of paper with caution, if not guarded suspicion.