Tijay Mohammed
See Something, Say Something 2, mixed media, 2020
Integrating the concept of reuse, history, personal and community stories, this piece re-imagines the idea of material recycle as a group portrait which collectively speak to social and environmental justice. “See something, say something” was borrowed from a popular MTA announcement, “If you See something, say something” The question here is, does the world listen when we say what we see?
About the Artist
Tijay Mohammed is a Ghanaian-born artist who resides in the Bronx, NYC. His works assemble discarded, day-to-day objects into group portraits that communicate the hopefulness in the remains of our lives that are often overlooked or no longer valuable. Inspired by Sankofa, an Adinkra symbol of West Africa, meaning "learning from the past for a prosperous future”, Tijay's works address issues of migration, historical, and gender equality.
Call to Action
I want to communicate to you a greater relationships to addressing overproduction and overconsumption. As a futurist I deemed it a responsibility to positively impact communities for the enhancement of this and generations yet unborn.The assemblage of over 3,500 metro cards as a community group portrait is to re-imagine and suggest that the issue of climate change is eradicated and achieved through personal and collective effort. Each metro card brings a unique personal history, experience and expertise in educating and prompting us of the dangers of ignoring the issue.
I create my projects with the concept of Zaman lafiya or 'Living in Peace", a common phrase in Hausa. This promotes peaceful coexistence with one’s neighbors, humanity, and the environment. I think about you as collaborators and partners in developing my works. You bring history and new meanings to materials and by sharing ideas with one another, we can talk the talk and walk the walk together.
In Their Own Words