This series, "Tears of My Ancestors" was created in memory of my grand-mothers, who comprised the last generation of my family to have facial marks. In their time these marks served as tribal signifiers.
—  Jide Ojo

The title of this series "Bubbles and Bursts" is a reference to the appearance of the surface of these works. The rounds signify the formation of life as in a pregnancy: a life trying to come or burst out.
—  Jide Ojo

THE FEATURED INDIVIDUALS

PANEL A	Marty Markowitz
PANEL B	Andres Serrano
PANEL C	Russell Simmons
PANEL A2	Dr. Beny J. Primm
PANEL D	Joe Overstreet
PANEL E	Tom Otterness
PANEL F	Frank Bowling
PANEL D2	Lowery Sims
PANEL G	Chuck Close
PANEL H	Jack Shainman
PANEL I	David Hammons
PANEL G2	Martin Puryear

ABOUT THE SERIES

About 12 years ago, I conceived the idea of executing an artwork that would combine all the new materials that I had just introduced into the art making process; glass, glitter, resin and others. The idea was to photograph people prominent in the African art community within the New York City vicinity. But as the project developed, I discovered that this approach would be very limiting. Eventually I ended up including photos of those who would like to participate in the collage artwork. After much trial and error, the project became what it is today. There are 12 panels in all. The panels are Lexan plastic of various sizes, mostly 35 x 45 inches. The strings or ropes circulating the entire artwork were made of cast resin — modeled after a picture of a weathered skeleton of a leaf. These branches represent the various veins and arteries of the human body.
—  Jide Ojo

I created the portrait of Pope John Paul II because of his gesture of making trips to Africa and when there, kissing the ground and profusely apologizing for the part played by the Papacy in legitimizing and encouraging slavery.
—  Jide Ojo