Shaquille-Aaron Keith: “Blooming into The Future”
“Blooming into The Future” by Shaquille-Aaron Keith
On a 40”x 40”, oil and acrylic on canvas, multidisciplinary artist, Shaquille-Aaron Keith presented his 2023 “Blooming into the Future (Let’s Stay Together)” composition at the FNB Art Joburg Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Keith portrays an exhilarating masterpiece showcasing a visual representation of sheet music as the framework that fills the background of the design. The music sheet reads the song lyrics of Al Green's ‘Let’s Stay Together’ foreshadowing the artist's ideology of his future in hopes of creating a family. Centered at the top, ‘Let's Stay Together’ pieces with the family of flowers portrayed in the middle, complementing the entirety of the craft. In colorful composition, the petals of the flowers convey different character personalities as they detail metaphors.
Closely capturing each illustration of the characters is complemented with achievements, growth, and modern family affiliations of school and world experiences. These features include Coke can petal curlers, teenage son with baby seed formula, dad travel business case, sweet daughter with Milo baby formula, power to the people cap, the children (seeds), the children drew a sun, a proud daughter achievement (English Literature Exam Results), baby seeds have grown, and baby bees first flight.
“Blooming into The Future” by Shaquille-Aaron Keith
While recognizing each detail, Keith invites us into an atmosphere of himself in the world while demonstrating surrealism, culture, and growth. Submerged in originality, his accompanying poem presents his vulnerability towards a rumination of himself as authentic emotions are characterized by entailing a story that recognizes personal human identity that longs for a specific relationship in hopes of a future.
I admit;
I was once one out for the gusto,
Succumbing to temptations of the flesh
And idolising lust though,
These are the not the standards I hold for myself.
it would seem I’ve allowed
King Solomon’s ideology to place them
On a near, but distant shelf.
How many concubines
to comprise
True happiness?
One lover, under covers
With an array of seeds
is true happy bliss.
Kiss after kiss,
Gaze after gaze,
Held between you and I consistently
Is realer than
A new face every other day
I guess I never knew what I had till
You left
Little did I know
Even on my worst days
You were trying to
bring out my best.
But you met resistance
From I.
Now I’m surrounded by strangers,
none who are mates to thy-own soul,
Now I’m surrounded by takers,
None whom I can see they and I growing old.
Empty relationships?
I know I’m finished with.
Unhappy dictatorships?
Sounds so ridiculous.
I come back to you,
but not as a retreat,
Only due to fact that with you,
It was then I was truly
complete.
Forgive my negligence,
And let us never look back,
Can we photosynthesis into
The idea of a future
With little ones, a home
and all of that?
Stormin’ through any weather,
Truly living Al Green lyrics of;
‘let’s Stay together’,
And
Before the end
And we lay in our tomb
Let us plant seeds
Let me bless your womb,
So no man can separate what we create.
Allow me to be your true love introducer,
Thoughts thunk, thinking about you and I,
Blooming into the future.
“Blooming into The Future” by Shaquille-Aaron Keith
In an instagram post, Keith reflects on the honor of presenting his project alongside those who helped contribute:
“2nd time showing in South Africa this year, and an honour to be part of @fnbartjoburg, Africas longest and Oldest art fair, that only shows the best works, galleries and artists… alongside my family @eclecticacontemporary, it’s an honour to share a space with some of the best Artists/galleries in motherland and beyond… thank you to everyone person who came and showed out and showed some love, I’ll remember every conversation… and thank you to my buyer, grateful for blooming into the future to be going to a beautiful home also… to many more wins in the remaining months of 2023 for us all”
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