KOMA(SPIRIT)

Vigango are commemorative effigies of the Gohu society(Leadership) of my tribe, Mijikenda. The spirit of the deceased is bound to them through a spiritual ceremony. It is believed that Vigango possess the power to protect the community.

Like most indigenous communities around the world, we lost them to thieves and irresponsible art dealers.

Some have however been repatriated from the U.S.A. Unfortunately, the lost spirits can’t find their homes since it’s hard to identify exactly the families they belong to. Mepoho, a seer from our community, foretold the white man’s coming to our land. This prophecy came to pass and the amount of distraction is felt even today as we rediscover our erased history.

Such indigenous culture is what kept the balance with the world around us. It made us understand that we’re responsible for the future, even after we’re gone. To achieve the Third Paradise, we must come to terms with the atrocities done by colonizers worldwide to allow us to reunite with the spirit that was robbed away from us.

Self-portrait using a mirror and found image.