“Africa is the story. The big story is Africa… This is a market of a billion people, of natural resources.” -Dr. Ahmed Heikal
 
 
This collage emerged through instinct and a sharpened awareness of Africa’s pursuit of sovereignty over its own wealth. While historical and ongoing extraction remains undeniable, a shift in global bargaining power is underway. African nations are increasingly leveraging international competition to negotiate stronger terms and assert control over the value drawn from their resources.
 
 
The silica gel pouch stands as an emblem of Africa’s enduring position as a resource‑rich continent; its abundance is continuously sought, contested, and central to global industry. The candy wrapper highlights the tension between resource wealth and lived poverty, signaling the need for genuine poverty eradication.
 
 
The book image, the collaged heads of African men cut from yellow cardstock, and the hand‑drawn crowns form a counter‑narrative. They signal knowledge, resilience, and the clear reality that the modern global economy cannot function without Africa. These crowned figures assert Africa’s intellectual, cultural, and material power as inherent, an origin point rather than an acquisition.
 
 
Artwork Title: Resources and Resources
Medium: Analog Collage
Width: 9 inches Height: 12 inches
Materials: Bristol paper, Cardstock paper, Printing paper, Masking tape, Paper from a book, Silica gel pouch, Candy wrapper, Glue
© Tamiko Greene. Artworks cannot be reproduced and distributed without permission.