An Updated Vision of a Decolonised West Africa:
»Iwọ̀-Oòrùn Alkebu-lan 1270 AH«
Following the acclaimed 2011 continent-wide map, I wanted to return to the history with an even greater level of precision. Iwọ̀-Oòrùn Alkebu-lan 1270 AH (2023) is a deep dive where I chose to begin with the region of Africa I am personally most fascinated by—focusing on West Africa in 1852. It depicts a region at its absolute political and cultural peak, standing strong just prior to the pressures of the European "Scramble for Africa".
Breaking away from conventional Eurocentric cartography, the map is oriented with South at the top. This builds directly upon the intellectual tradition of Timbuktu's Sankoré University and the seminal work of cartographer al-Idrisi, deliberately shifting the geographical perspective to place indigenous endonyms, powerful kingdoms, and historic emirates firmly at the center. Featuring over 230 meticulously researched states and thousands of specific locations, the cartography is richly embellished with entirely new visual styles and decorative patterns inspired by traditional West African textiles and sculptures.
The project has been featured internationally in major museum exhibitions, including prestigious showings at the Vitra Design Museum and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao as part of the Making Africa exhibition. By challenging traditional perspectives, the artwork invites viewers to contemplate an alternate timeline where indigenous sovereignty and institutional agency remained entirely uninterrupted.
Created to blend seamlessly into a discerning home environment while carrying a deep historical and alternative narrative.
Format: 100 × 70 cm limited edition fine art print.
Material: Printed on 200 g/m² thick matte art paper.
Included: Signed Certificate of Authenticity, detailed symbol guide, and historical background sheet.
Available as a fine art print over at my Shopify store.
"Explore the full map in detail (click to enlarge)."
