African Language Wall by Olayami Dabls

Sept. 16th & 17th 2011 Detroit - Olayami Dabls, 2011 Kresge Follow, BLAC magazine select "Detroit's Ten Best Artists", feature story in HOUR Magazine (Sept.2011), will unveil the new addition to the MBAD/ABA African Bead Museum's installation "Iron teaching Rocks How to Rust", a 150' X 20'mural named "the African Language Wall". Come join us at the open-air, public art project located at 6559 Grand River Detroit MI 48208.

The 150' X 20' wall took three years to complete and is the result of 7 years of researching traditional African languages. Come see 24 examples of written scripts used in a selection of African languages.The rarest of the ancient languages displayed on "the African Language Wall" is over 5,000 years old.

Dabls refers to himself as a storyteller who uses mirrors, wood, paint, iron and glue, to speak in his unique style. His on-going research is discovering fascinating information about African people pre-occupation with communicating messages using all types of materials (i.e. drums, textile, sculptures pottery, metal items traditionally. ) Africa at one time had over 2,000 languages and hundreds of dialects and were identified by their languages, before Europeans divided the land into the present countries, in 1885.