Sina Yussuff
Various Works
Pray America, 1993
Pray America, by Sina Yussuff (Click an Image for High Resolution)
Nigerian artist Sina Yussuff was a devout Muslim who conveyed deep spiritual awareness in Pray America. Similar to the role played by the College’s Ministry, Pray America is about spiritual connection between God and His people everywhere. Hanging where students study in silence, this painting depicts religious awakening found through serious concentration that cleanses the soul in much the same way that education nourishes the mind.
Yussuff uses the color red to symbolize as well as define form. Red can represent emotions such as passion and anger. The Bible mentions that followers of Jesus Christ are of one body in him and share in his blood. For Christians, Jesus spoke with passion for what he believed in and showed anger towards those who turned away from the truth. As a symbol of Jesus’ blood, red often appears in the robes of religious leaders such as the Catholic Cardinal in Pray America. Red is scattered across the painting to enliven and unify.
Pray America seems to be set outdoors. The warm sunset colors in the background are a reoccurring element in many works by Yussuff. The color gives an appearance that the scene is burning. The eerie and statuesque man that occupies center stage throws back his head in a trance. The slight tilt of his body adds visual tension as he leans towards the crowd for support. The atmosphere of color and movement is intense enough that one can almost hear the congregation’s prayers.
The United States of America is a melting pot of cultures. In Pray America, a rainbow of skin colors fills the canvas. The chaotic scene in the background represents the violence that plagues our country, but especially marks our cities. Perhaps Yussuff saw Christianity as a cure for the crises as well as to unify our increasingly fragmented country.
