By Hawajane, 2021

In school, we are taught that African history began with our "discovery" by European explorers, that we had no written traditions or scripts and that we were uncivilized. "Known Thyself" asks the viewer to make a deeper investigation into our history as African Peoples to discover a very different story.

The painting incorporate the Bassa script which was used in the area that is now Sierra Leone and Liberia over 500 years ago and is still spoken by descendants of enslaved peoples in Brazil and the Carribean.

PRESENTATION OF THE ARTIST

Hawa-Jane Bangura, known as Hawajane lives and works in Freetown, Sierra Leone. She studied Art in the UK and USA. She also holds a degree in law and established a successful career as a lawyer at the New York State Bar and later in the corporate sector in Sierra Leone.

In 2013, she set up an art collective, The Barray, comprised of about 15 visual artists, and in 2015, the group held its first exhibition, which was a huge success. She continues to curate and organize group exhibitions by the Barray twice annually.

She primarily paints in acrylic and oils and also delves into sculpture and installation art as a means of social commentary. Her work typically explores the concept of identity: how we, as African Women, depict ourselves and tell our stories in terms of our history, our culture and our place in the world; it also challenges the way in which African women are traditionally depicted in art.