The Reptiles Tyranny Drummer 2009

Curator: Looking at Twins Seven Seven's “The Reptiles Tyranny Drummer,” made in 2009 using ink and pastel on paper, what immediately comes to mind for you? Editor: I’m drawn to the sheer otherworldliness of it. There’s something both captivating and unnerving about that central figure. Is he human? Is he reptile? It's wonderfully ambiguous. The intense pattern work practically vibrates off the page. Curator: The artist’s Yoruba heritage certainly influenced his style. The repeated patterns, the layering of figures – it resonates with traditional textile design, but he's using very contemporary materials, ink and pastel on paper, which democratizes access, in a way challenging old modes of elite patronage. Editor: Right, because there's a craft element that’s hard to ignore, I almost feel that it has something naive about its intention, and it seems incredibly deliberate. Are these colors local pigments? Curator: No, but by combining traditional themes with materials like ink and pastel, he merges a global aesthetic with the Yoruba cultural framework. Twins Seven Seven explored themes around colonialism and identity; in some ways this is very personal for the author and perhaps how we can decode the art! Editor: Interesting. The reptile playing the drum feels… mischievous. But tyrannical? The whole scene does have an air of subversive theater about it. Curator: Yes, I interpret that as a reflection on power structures – both in the colonial context and, perhaps, more broadly in human relations. The ‘naive art’ aspects you mention underscore a vulnerability but also a resistance to conventional modes of representation and making assumptions on cultures based on that fact. Editor: It feels very timely too, it doesn’t lose importance! It’s almost a satirical commentary told through mythological narrative and visual intensity. Curator: Exactly. And on reflecting more and taking in its visual force, this "Reptile Tyranny Drummer" can be regarded as an object and its physical and labor characteristics. Editor: This piece continues to challenge me. I can certainly appreciate its powerful message; one interpretation always lends itself to new insight.