Storytime

Artwork story

In Storytime, I capture the luminous heart of African oral tradition through a large-scale, 48x36 inch acrylic composition. The work centres on an elder sharing ancestral wisdom with a captivated circle of children, their faces aglow with the warmth of a flickering hearth. Set against a backdrop of traditional dwellings and a rising moon, the painting utilizes vibrant, rhythmic brushwork to immortalise the communal joy of storytelling. It stands as a vital preservation of heritage, documenting the sacred bridge between generations that defines the soul of a community.

My motivation for painting Storytime was to honour one of the most beautiful attributes of African life: the joy of sharing stories that carry lessons across generations. In our culture, oral tradition is a treasure guarded by our elders—the living libraries of our heritage.

On this 48x36 inch canvas, I captured the magic of those holidays where grandchildren travel from afar to sit at grandma’s feet, finding themselves woven into a lineage that stretches back centuries.

​I was deeply moved by the sight of these children, their expressions a mixture of wonder and quiet awe as they absorb stories they will one day tell. The fire in the foreground is more than a source of light; it represents the warmth of belonging and the energy required to sustain a culture.

By painting grandma in the midst of her narrative, hands expressive and face full of life, I sought to document the vital moment where one generation is sustained by another.

​Unfortunately, these moments are threatened by the creeping shadows of modernism and individualism. We are losing the communal spirit that once defined us.

My hope is that this masterpiece serves as a profound awakening. For those who once enjoyed such nights, I want it to stir the sweetness of memory; for the younger generation, to inspire a future where these traditions are preserved.

It is a visual plea to recognize that our identity is not found in isolation, but in the shared breath of a story told under the moonlight.