Richard Lasisi Olagunju

The first words of the Book of Mormon situate the primary narrator, Nephi, in the social context of his family. This legacy will have rippling consequences throughout the rest of the book. Olagunju’s beaded artwork is intended as a belief in the divine role of parents and the global need for kind and consistent family.

The intricate beadwork includes a border of patterns found in Yoruba textiles. Both figures wear a dashiki, a colorful garment with embroidered collars found across Africa and the African diaspora. The twelve braids of hair represent the twelve tribes of Israel, an unusual and forceful symbol for a female figure. By interweaving Book of Mormon references and West African cultural symbols, Olagunju makes a beautiful statement about what is intrinsically divine.