Diokpala ("The First Son")

Diokpala ("the first son") is a self-portrait that captures the weight of responsibility and sacrifice borne by the artist as the eldest son in an Igbo household. The dejected figure, a black man like the artist himself, sits slumped in palpable anguish, his sunken shoulders a visceral embodiment of the burdens he carries.

Rendered in moody, emotionally charged tones, the painting's sombre palette reflects the subject's despondent state of unemployment and the attendant turmoil. His distant, vacant gaze betrays an inner struggle—a wrestle with the expectations and cultural obligations that come with being the family's economic vanguard.

Through deft manipulation of light and form, the artist captures the subject's emotional depths with haunting realism, inviting empathy for the shared human experience of pain and sacrifice.

With this piece, the artist documents a fleeting moment in history, preserving the anguish and resilience of the human spirit in trying times.