After the tempest.

Hello.
Hope you are all well.

I am fine.
The day is good and sunny, only our clocks went forward in the night.
We must adapt our bodies to this new local time.
Also I hope I will soon adapt myself back to normal day life.

This Sunday, I feel somehow like a sailor after big storm washed his ship of sails, compass, maps and books.
May be I will need time before I dance my spirit again in good rhythm.

Be good,
Orokie

All is well.

Dear, John Powers, Belasco, Pure Cacao Joy, Daudi, Blackstone, Eshuneutics, Sirrond, Grinder and Anonymous... thank you for your kind words on my blog. Thank you to all those others who have kept me in their thoughts and kept my heartbeat within their own. At last, I have returned home. I am in my room once more. I am able to hold pencil and paint brush in my hands again.

The Ancestors say I still am not a man of theirs and so I am able to return to my work and life as it was before. Today, I have painted myself. A portrait. It is my way of saying: welcome back!

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CARE, Orokie.

A story of intuition.

There is a famous story about Basquiat and Warhol. In October, 1982, the art dealer Bruno Bischofberger took Basquiat down to the Factory to meet Warhol. They had lunch and Warhol decided to exchange a Polaroid of the two artists (taken by Makos) for a Basquiat painting. In an act of one-up-man-ship and hubris, Basquiat decided to go further: he would create a painting for Warhol, a double portrait. Only a few hours later, Torton, Basquiat’s assistant returned with a finished painting. This was Dos Cabezas/Two Heads. Warhol, the master of staging, realised that (at last) he had been up-staged. Basquiat’s portrait of Warhol saw straight behind the mask, capturing his strangeness, awkwardness, voodoo-like attraction.

Recently, a friend told me an interesting story about Orokie. A story that showed similar speed and insight. One night, Orokie asked this friend to send him a picture of a Black Male. The “game” was this. The friend would write down what he saw in the picture. Orokie would respond in images, sending a picture that showed what he “felt” was inside the photograph. A few hours later, a picture returned by email. It showed a sense of hurt, a questioning in the mind of the Black Male. Orokie said there was “a deadness in his eyes” as if he knew what the photographer wanted: sex. For Orokie, it was not a nice photograph. The image was about modelling for money and sexual suffering. Orokie also said that there was illness inside the man, decay, a sense that life was wasting and the end was near. The beautiful face was a Death’s Head. Beneath the glamour of the image there was real sadness. It wasn’t only the speed of drawing that puzzled the friend, it was also the accuracy. The image was of Dennis Speight…by Mapplethorpe…one of the photographer’s casual (for Mapplethorpe) Black sex-partners…and his image was associated with one key work by Mapplethorpe: an installation which combined photographs (with thorn and calla lilies) and a stone Death’s Head in an image of sexual passion.

As fast as Basquiat, and as insightful!

Prayer

Before Orokie was taken ill, he was working on a major painting called "Prayer". This work (sketch above) now seems prophetic. The latest news is that Orokie remains in hospital, following emergency surgery, and is likely to remain hospitalised for a few more weeks. Thanks to those readers who have left their hopes and prayers on this, Orokie's blog...Orokie believes in the power of heart-felt words to create vibrations and change for the better. To those, out of the 600 that have passed through this blog in the past two weeks, all who are close friends of Orokie say "Thanks" on his behalf. We all look towards Orokie's recovery and future works that enshrine his joy and spirit. To Orokie: blessings!

Hope

Let us hope that this will still be the future and Orokie's recovery will be soon. Thanks to those who have sent kind greetings. There is hope still: Orokie has recovered from major surgery and intensive care.

Worrying news.

Dear readers of Orokie's blog,

I am afraid that posts have not happened this week. This is because Orokie has been seriously ill and there is still much concern about his well-being. I regret having to post this news, but do so because I know that people will be wondering why they have heard nothing from Afriboy. Please leave any thoughts and questions on this blog and I will do everything possible to keep you informed of what is happening. I would tell you more if I could, but I have little news except that which I have posted.

A friend of Orokie.