The Balance by Kalkidan Assefa (DRPN SOUL)
Location: Humber Polytechnic North Campus - NX Building Foyer
The Balance is an interpretation on finding equilibrium, specifically defined as a state when two or more opposing forces find stability. In this case the balance that is sought between the goals of advancement, in the purest sense unburdened by all but the pursuit of progression, and the goal of sustainability which places responsible limits on advancement for the greater good. Both goals are achieved through creative thinking and innovation, and while the stability between them may not always be symmetrical, they do compliment each other in ways that benefit the whole.
The characters in the center represent the opposite views, each focused on their own goal but met in the center at the point of balance where the boundaries between the two become ambiguous. They are neither gender nor ethno-specific, and meant to represent the spectrum of humanity. The various shapes throughout are abstractions of naturally existing forms and phenomena, as well as manufactured forms of modern industrial production. Both form the building blocks for creative and sustainable innovation. The composition also seeks to find a balance between the dense, colourful forms and blank negative space surrounding.
Assefa developed the style used in this mural over 15 years, informed by traditional Ethiopian iconography & graffiti, and reimagined through the lens of Afrofuturism.
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