Chimemelie Okafor

Things Fall Apart

Resistance

“"Things Fall Apart" spotlights reclaiming original ways of knowing through decolonization. The composition presents two opposing forces, the chicken as a natural timekeeper, contrasted with the repeating clock-hand patterns and the digital time 00:00. Strong contrasts between curves and straight lines emphasize the difference between spiralic time in Igbo culture and Western linear time. The painting is chaotic, with gestures and layered patterns to portray ongoing action. The tension between these forms reflects the struggle to return to Indigenous knowledge systems while confronting the continued presence of colonial structures.”