"Togolese photographer Tessilim Adjayi finds inspiration in the world around him, particularly in the traditional forms that identify peoples. His latest work focuses on the cult practices of the Guin heritage in Aného (Togo), the voodoo capital of West Africa. In his series 'Yayra kple n'tifafa' (meaning 'Blessing and Peace' in the Ewe language), Tessilim Adjayi ventured into voodoo territory in the Lacs Prefecture of Togo, to Aného-Glidji, a major voodoo center that emerged in the late 16th century in the town of Tado, on the banks of the Mono River, which separates Benin from Togo. At the 360th ceremony of the sacred stone taking (Ekpessosso in the Mina language) held on September 7th (the first Thursday of September) in Aného-Glidji, thousands of voodoo followers gathered, draped in white cloth with long bead necklaces around their necks, arms, and feet, coming from Togo, Benin, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria to honor the voodoo deities, thus affirming the collective identity of the Guin people, based on cosmological principles and the symbolism of masculinity and femininity. Meanwhile, the artist has been observing the gradual disappearance of the commercial circulation of 5 and 10 CFA franc coins for some years, although banks continue to issue them. The reason is that these coins are frequently used for offerings and sacrifices during voodoo ceremonies. In search of these coins that he collects with difficulty, Tessilim Adjayi decided to turn them into a plastic project, creating new narratives related to the Guin people's identity heritage.
Exhibition on view at 193 gallery.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C2nlSp6CJjz/
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