WEBVTT

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[sound of foil pieces tapping against each other in the wind]

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I wish that I spoke more languages

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because I think each language is a window completely.

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It's a new window.

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I at times regret that I'm not very good at languages.

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I'd love to have more windows opening to me.

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There are times that I name my--title my--works in my language, Ewe

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Like in my language, there are several words which would have multiple meanings

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With a little tonality change, the word "Gli"

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can mean so many things

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"Gli" is "wall"

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"Gli", same spelling, is "story"

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"Gli" is like "disrupt"

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or "Gli" can mean erupt

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And so on and so forth

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Several of the words that I use have such a range of meanings

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Whereas with English I find that it is a bit specific

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And since I'm working with the idea of non-fixity

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and something indeterminate, I don't want the language to inform.

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Because wanting it to inform, and by giving it a context

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you limit its ability to stretch,

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and I want it to remain contextless

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so that it leads you anywhere.

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The tradition that actually started my profession off

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was this collection of symbols that

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they call Adinkra symbols

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"Adinkra" means saying goodbye.

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It's actually a series of signs and symbols that

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are printed on textiles.

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In a library, I read a couple of books

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in which there were claims that Africa didn't have art

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or that African art is not abstract

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and then I saw these signs in which you clearly see

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people making attempts to encapsulate abstract ideas

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like the oneness of God or unity

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That really opened my eyes, and I stayed with those signs for well over 5 years

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after I finished school.

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Just like in Europe you will go to the museum to see

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the artworks of your forebearers,

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this was my museum that I discovered.