Winnipeg Mosaic installation "Peace and Purpose"

Yisa Akinbolaji has produced large mosaic works for architectural firms and individuals who commissioned him in Nigeria before immigrating to Canada in 1997. His latest work in Nigeria is "The Good Shepherd", which was installed in Ikeja, Lagos (W32 ft by H21ft) in a limited colour palette. Yisa however, created Peace and Purpose in Winnipeg, Canada using 42 colours of glass tiles, each tile measuring three-quarter square inch. In creating Peace and Purpose, Yisa says he considered that the choice of colours would evoke celebration and inclusion. Peace and Purpose depicts the philosophy of the artist. The glass tiles mosaic is their versatility though they are expensive. Since arriving in Canada in 1997, Yisa has used his colorful artistic approach to express his thought about social and political issues. Yisa is imaginative and speaks profound messages through his art forms, which include oil and acrylic on canvas, printmaking and mosaic. Over the years his work has been featured in the newspapers, discussed on radio, shown on television, and displayed in numerous galleries including the Franco Manitoba Cultural Center and the Winnipeg Art Gallery Juried shows. Yisa's message in Peace and Purpose is depicted for international audience as well as people that will pass by his residence. The concept alone, as explained by the artist, was three months in the making. The tiling and installation took more than two months. 'If the mosaic I installed in Nigeria, before I travelled to Canada, had taken that long, I would have missed my flight to Canada', Yisa said. The images in Peace and Purpose dazzle the eye. There are images of bountifulness, serenity and prosperity. Yisa's message in Peace and Purpose provides a challenge for all to see beauty in the ashes.

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• Mosaic
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• Winnipeg
• African
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