Green Witness is a new series by Prosper Aluu, created using his Abfillage technique—a fusion of abstraction, figuration, and collage. At the heart of the series is the cassava leaf, cut and rendered in hand-dyed paper, floating across layered Nigerian newspaper clippings. These leaves are not simply decorative; they are metaphorical. In their shape and presence, they act as silent witnesses to the political, economic, and cultural histories written beneath them.
In Eastern Nigeria, cassava is a staple—present in almost every farmland and home. It has sustained countless lives, including the artist’s own. But its importance is rarely acknowledged in dominant narratives. Green Witness seeks to restore that recognition.
The background text drawn from local and national headlines represents systems of control, information, and complexity. With each cut and layer, the artist archives a story of survival one in which the land knows more than it is ever asked to speak.
