Who am I?
Where did I come from?
And where am I going?
These kind of existential questions belie the root of all philosophical thinking. The answers to each
one however is not always simple and is unique to every individual who must arrive at his answer
through deep reflection and profound thought.
William Thackeray, a noted literay and intellectual of his time wrote of the smoking pipe, “the pipe
draws wisdom from the lips of the philosopher and shuts up the mouth of the foolish, it generates a
style of conversation, contemplative, thoughtful, benevolent and unaffected.”
And Even Albert Einstein resonated the thought saying “I believe that pipe smoking contributes to a
somewhat calm and objective judgment in all human affairs,”
What both were implying was the pipe man is the reflective and thinking man. There is no doubt in
my mind that the general consensus would agree with this imagery and when we conjure up the
image of a smoking pipe, your mind is instantly flooded with images of a scholar in his 50’s brooding
in his study, contemplating the complexities of existentialism, drawing on wisdom from his pipe,
Sherlock Holmes, or grandfather.
The question as to whether this imagery is factual and if sucking on a smoking pipe implies the user
to be a rugged man of idyllic epoch is unimportant. At least not to Morountodun Obaigbo, the new
age African Contemporary creative aesthetic product Designer who recently pre launched her
creative design platform. Her debut project explores the art of pipe making, using materials such as
brass, gold, briar wood and acrylic.
She reveals that after studying some African aesthetic smoking pipes at the popular Jakande market,
she began to consider the endless possibilities in making a smoking pipe and despite the prevalent
anti-smoking sentiment, the smoking pipe making remains as a form of art.
Her smoking pipe collection is designed, looking at Contemporary African motif with stunning visual
appeal. She believes there is a gentle charisma associated with a pipe smoker and there is little
difference in tobacco use and marijuana use as it relates to the smoking pipe. The smoking pipe is
multi-functional and transcends beyond recreational drug use to a personal accessory which for both
the connoisseur and the beginner might be a reflection of the eclectic tastes of the owner himself.
As an art enthusiast or lover of alternate or Afrocentrism, news of this exhibition should appeal to
you. The launch of www.morountodunobaigbo.com is set for the beginning of 2016. It launches as
an open exhibition, and welcomes other African Alternative Contemporary artists, poets, creative
designers, indie musicians, instrumentalists or photographers who would like to be part of the
exhibition to contact Uyi and someone else to be a part with other alternate artists and promises to
be an evening of intellectual stimulation. You may subscribe to the newsletter or follow on social
media to be part of the countdown. Follow on twitter